


The Anti-Marriage Proposition

by Annibelle_White



Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire, Wicked, Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: F/M, Loss of Virginity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:41:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 47,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24103810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annibelle_White/pseuds/Annibelle_White
Summary: Elphaba doesn't want to deal with dating or marriage. But she does want to have sex, just to know what it's like. And Fiyero is the perfect person to help her. He's experienced, and in an arranged marriage, so there would be no complicating things with feelings.Fiyero is more than happy to help, and he needs a political agreement from Elphaba, anyway.They make a deal: no feelings, no love, just sex. It ends at graduation.Or will it?
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp/Fiyero Tigelaar
Comments: 18
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been nagging in my head forever now, so I'm finally starting to work on it and share it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba wants to experience a little of everything, if possible. She realizes there's one particular experience she might miss out on if she doesn't go the conventional route, and decides to find a way around it.

Elphaba shot a glare in Pfanee’s direction. Her voice carried the loudest - not that Glinda ever shushed her. The three friends sat on Glinda’s bed talking in what Glinda would refer to as “hushed tones,” though Elphaba thought the term laughable. She could hear every word they said, and always could. She often asked them to quiet down while she worked, and they must think they actually were quieter, but she could still hear them. At some point, she’d given up telling them they were louder than they thought.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving us so early!” Again, Pfanee, who apparently didn’t understand the concept of a whisper. “I thought you’d at least finish the whole year. I mean, we are going to graduate in the summer.”

“That’s eight months from now! I want to start making a home with my new husband. Besides, I’ll finish out this semester.” Shen-Shen replied. All three of them giggled.

Elphaba actually agreed with Pfanee on this, though. Why quit when you were one semester away from graduating? What was even the point of school? 

“I thought Glinda would be the first of us to get married,” Pfanee mused, toying with her auburn curls.

“I have not even met an eligible man yet!” Glinda exclaimed.

Shen-Shen had announced her engagement when they had returned from the summer holiday. Some poor Gillikinese man who her parents had conveniently introduced her to. Well, he could have had it worse - he could’ve ended up with Pfanee.

“I just can’t get over the fact that you’re going to be a real adult, a woman.”

“Pfanee, we’re over eighteen. We’re all women.” Glinda said what Elphaba had restrained herself from saying.

“Well, we’re not… worldly.”

“And what does that mean?” Glinda was starting to sound the slightest bit exasperated with Pfanee, too, and Elphaba was remembering why she was friends with her.

“We’re virgins!” Pfanee burst out. “And we’ve never really known a man. Or what it means to build a home. It changes you. That’s what everyone says.”

 _Oh, please_. As if a man could actually change who a woman is. The key was not to give a man, or anyone, for that matter, that much power. Why did some girls feel they had no identity without a man? Glinda looked over at her for a moment and realized she was listening. Elphaba gave her an eyeroll. Glinda shrugged.

“Oh, I’ll still be me.” Shen-Shen shrugged.

“Promise you’ll write to us. Tell us what it’s like. I want to know _everything_.”

“Come on, Pfanee, you’ll learn yourself one day,” Glinda interjected. “That’s supposed to be private.”

Elphaba wouldn’t look at Glinda again after she said that. Glinda, concerned about privacy? 

Shen-Shen sighed dramatically. “You know, I am sorry for women who never marry. They remain old maids.”

“I don’t think anyone here has a danger of that. We’re all eligible young ladies.” Glinda commented.

“Not _everyone_ in this room. I mean…” Elphaba felt Pfanee’s eyes on her.

“Pfanee!” Glinda’s voice was barely audible.

“Well, I mean, she’s going to be an old maid.”

“Stop it! That’s rude.”

“I just meant that she has no interest in boys. Do you really see her wanting to marry? I wasn’t trying to insult her!”

Elphaba gave up. “I can hear you, you know.”

“Which is what I was _trying_ to tell you. And that’s so inconsiderate and judgmental, Pfanee. I think maybe we’re done here for the moment.” Glinda stood up. “We’ll talk later.”

The other two girls shuffled out of the room, muttering. Pfanee threw a short, resentful, “Sorry,” Elphaba’s way, but she didn’t care.

“That wasn’t nice of her,” Glinda said when she shut the door behind them.

“I don’t care. I mean, I guess she has a point. I have no intention of marrying.”

“Not even courting? Nothing?”

She shifted at her desk, turning to look at her roommate. “What’s the point? All of that is meant to lead to marriage. And as I just said, I have no interest in that.”

“I just… Elphie, being a wife and mother, even being a lover…”

“Oh, please. I love how you girls think that a man’s penis can literally change your identity, or your value as a person. You really think everything that makes you _you_ is irrevocably changed somehow?”

Glinda’s grey eyes flicked to the floor for a moment before meeting Elphaba’s again. “I don’t, not quite, but the experiences change people.”

“Maybe. But we sure seem focused on what happens to women, and not about what happens to men.”

“They become husbands, providers, fathers.”

Elphaba threw her hands in the air. “And? Aren’t they still the same people, overall, that they were before? And by the way, do we obsess over the virginity of a man the way we obsess over the virginity of a woman? I’ve never heard of a man getting asked about the status of his virginity before a wedding night.”

“This is just how it works.” Glinda sighed, shaking her head.

“It doesn’t have to be,” she insisted. “If we just let things stay that way, nothing will change.”

“I thought you didn’t care about any of it to begin with?”

“I don’t. But… but this is the world you want to live in, and you’re my friend.”

Glinda jumped up and engulfed Elphaba in a hug. “You’re sweet, Elphie.”

But that wasn’t truly all of it. Glinda had pointed something out - Elphaba did want the experience. Not the marriage experience. But she did want the sex experience. And those two did not have to go together the way most people were taught they did. She did not want to be an “old maid,” though she did not mind remaining unmarried. She was also perfectly fine with never being courted. She didn’t believe “love” was real - it was merely something people manufactured to make their lives in this world more tolerable. But sex and pleasure were real. And she wanted those - maybe just a few times. Not that it mattered. She couldn’t very well just go around asking men to have sex with her.

“Elphie?” Glinda was still talking.

“Yeah, what?”

“I was asking you a question.”

“I’m sorry. What was it?”

“You don’t have to get married to be Eminent Thropp or anything? Like Master Fiyero has to marry before taking the throne?”

“I don’t think so.”

“So, what, you’ll be the ice queen of the East?” Glinda grimaced. “That sounded bad. I’m sorry. I just… you’ve heard what they called the Ozma regents who put off marriage too long.”

“The Wizard isn’t married.”

“I never thought of that.”

“It’s because he’s a man.” Elphaba shrugged. 

Glinda ignored the comment. “Then how will the eminence be passed on?” 

“Nessa, maybe, or Shell? I don’t know. That’s really not my problem.” Elphaba also wasn’t fond of the idea of a powerful position just handed to her because of who her mother was and because she happened to be the first born. But it had gotten her father to send her to Shiz, so she wasn’t going to complain too much.

“Fine. I was only being concerned. As your friend, I don’t want you to miss out on any experiences.”

She wouldn’t miss out on everything. She just needed to figure out where to look.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero gets an important letter from his father and sets out to find someone who can help him with his political problems.

This was his first important act as prince? He didn’t know where to start! Fiyero sighed and scanned the letter from his father again. His father had to know this was beyond his capabilities, right?

_ Damn the Scrow _ . While the tribes did not have true, physical warfare anymore, they still managed to fight one another on other levels. This time, the Scrow had forced them out of a trade agreement with the largest clan of Quadlings. Without a trade agreement, they’d never have enough food or coin to survive. While there were a few crops that grew well in the Vinkus and they exported plenty of meat, they needed more stable foods and coin. And now it was his responsibility to fix it. There would be no renegotiating with the Quadlings, and he didn’t know any around here, anyway. 

His father had “suggested” he talk to his classmates who might be important enough to point him in the right direction. Was that why he’d really been sent to Shiz? Not to get an education, but to make political connections? No one had told  _ him _ that, and he had few friends and acquaintances to speak of. He could list them all easily: Boq, Crope, Tibbett, Glinda, Elphaba, Pfanee, Shen-Shen, Milla, Avaric… Avaric!

Avaric’s father was a Margreave. He knew very little about what that meant to the Gillikinese people, but it must be something important as the young man bragged about it constantly. While he didn’t spend much time one-on-one with Avaric, he knew him well enough that he could ask. He hated asking for things. He didn’t want to come across as someone who only used people for power. But how was he ever supposed to be chieftain if he couldn’t do this?

He looked at his watch and realized it was too late to talk to Avaric tonight. Fiyero undressed and threw on a pair of shorts before climbing into bed. Maybe he could catch Avaric early and they could share breakfast.

He had an apartment this year on campus instead of living at Briscoe Hall like most of the other young men. His parents had insisted that he, as a prince, live well, even if he didn’t need it. So he walked over to Briscoe and hung around outside the dormitories in the early morning, acting like he was just loitering but keeping an eye out for Avaric. Avaric came out after more than an hour, looking disheveled and sleepy. 

“Hello, Fiyero.” Avaric nodded at him.

“Oh, hello. I was just enjoying some fresh air, but I’m starting to get hungry. Are you off to breakfast? Would you mind if I joined you?”

“Sure. Why not?” Avaric grunted.

“How are you this morning?” Fiyero asked as they walked.

“Tired. Hungover.”

_ Great _ . He wasn’t sure how this conversation could go if Avaric was going to be basically non-responsive. Maybe he’d be better if he got some food in him? The food in the cafeteria wouldn’t do. He pointed Avaric in the direction of the cafe they often frequented just off campus, instead.

Once they were both eating, Fiyero decided it was time to push a little. “You know, you’ve never explained to me what it means to be a Margreave.” He knew that would get him talking. He was constantly bragging about being the next in line to be a Margreave.

“Well, I’d be the Margreave of Tenmeadows, which is lovely little province in southeast Gillkin.” Avaric seemed to brighten a bit.

“Would you have a lot of work dealing with politics and such?”

The blond boy wrinkled his nose and waved aimlessly. “Oh, no. The position is really just ornamental at this point. We don’t deal with any of that, really. That’s for mayors and governors. Eminences and such.”

“Huh.” Well, so much for that. This conversation was useless.

“You know, Elphaba is supposed to be Eminent Thropp. I can’t imagine her dealing with anything like that, though. Who would even want to look at her?”

Fiyero frowned. He didn’t understand Avaric’s aversion to Elphaba. She could be a bit caustic, but her looks were no different than most other than her skin. To him, it was just another skin color. It wasn’t like the green was ugly on her. “Wait,” he realized what Avaric had said, “Elphaba?”

“Yes. I know she doesn’t look it. And her family has no money, but my understanding is that’s her father’s side especially since her mom kicked the bucket. Her mother’s side is the side the Eminence comes from. As soon as her great-grandfather croaks, she’s in charge.”

“And what, exactly, is she in charge of? Just a town?”

“Oh, no. She’ll be the most important person in Munchkinland. That is the biggest province and all the other eminences generally look up to that one and follow the Eminent Thropp’s lead.” Avaric was still scarfing down food like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Perhaps this discussion was fruitful, after all. 

He walked with Avaric back toward Briscoe Hall and ran into Boq before he headed back to his apartment. Boq smiled at him and waved him over. Boq always talked his ear off, but he had nowhere he had to be, so he didn’t mind.

“Hello, Fiyero! How is it going? I’m taking Milla out again this evening.”

Boq took Milla out every Saturday evening, so that wasn’t anything new. “That sounds fun.”

“Maybe you should get yourself a girlfriend, Fiyero. I bet loads of women would be interested in you.” The Munchkin boy looked up at him cheerfully.

Fiyero laughed. “Boq, you’re forgetting something.”

“What?”

“I’m already engaged to be married. I’m pretty sure most of the ladies around here would consider me ineligible, even if I have barely met my bride.” Fiyero shrugged.

“Oh, yes. I’d forgotten. I’m sorry.”

“No need.” He’d had his fun back home and he was fine getting married if he had to. It was life. It was actually better than most men out here got, so why complain? When he was maybe fifteen he’d been upset that he didn’t get to marry for love, but he had grown past that quickly.

“It’s too bad, though. It’d be a good alliance or something.”

Fiyero laughed. “Boq, never go into politics.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Good.” But then he realized Boq might know some more specific politics about the Eminent Thropp. And he might know the best way to approach Elphaba. “Speaking of politics, tell me more about the whole Eminent Thropp situation. I’m curious how it works in Munchkinland.”

“I can tell you what I know, but you’d probably be better off asking Elphaba. She is Thropp Third Descending, after all, and next in line.”

“I know that. But I’m more friendly with you.”

“Elphaba can be a little standoffish.”

“She doesn’t seem that bad. Just different.”

Boq nodded solemnly. “That’s mostly just due to how differently she’s been treated, I think. Get her talking about something she’s interested in and she’ll talk to you. Like I said, I don’t know much about the whole Eminent Thropp thing. Just ask her. Or ask her about the Animals. She’ll talk. She loves talking about those who she thinks are oppressed.”

He could make that work. After all, his people had been repressed by Greater Oz for a century or so.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba overhears an interesting conversation between Avaric and Fiyero. Glinda gives Elphaba tips on flirting.

For the second time that week, she cursed her hearing. This time, she was in the library and Avaric and Fiyero would not shut up. They were two tables away from her studying for some economics course, but for the most part they were not actually talking about economics. Avaric was doing his typical bragging and boasting and Fiyero was nodding along. She almost felt bad for Fiyero, actually. He wasn’t doing too much of the talking, after all, and he was probably being tormented listening to Avaric.

The library aide who worked there after classes had an obvious crush on Avaric, and so she let him talk above what Elphaba considered an acceptable volume. Complaining would do no good, as Elphaba had already learned in prior years. She did her best to tune them out.

“Fiyero, I was with this gorgeous woman last week. You should’ve seen her. And the things we did…”

Elphaba wanted to gag. The idea of anyone sleeping with Avaric was laughable and disgusting. She shuddered at the thought.

“Yeah?” Fiyero responded, looking at his textbook. “Sounds like you had a good time.”

“I showed her a good time, that’s for sure.”

Maybe the library aide would hear this and get jealous and make Avaric shut his pathetic little mouth.

“Hey, Fiyero, have you ever? Do people, you know, do that in the Vinkus?”

“Do what? Have sex outside of marriage? I’m pretty sure people do that everywhere, Avaric. It’s just frowned upon.” Fiyero didn’t look up from his notes, his sapphire eyes never leaving the page.

“Have you?”

Fiyero sighed and finally looked up. “Yes. A few times.”

Fiyero? She eyed the young man from behind her book. He did have what she might consider to be handsome features, and she found his tattoos to be pleasant. He wasn’t a virgin? She flushed, realizing she was picturing him in her mind, undressed, engaged in acts with some faceless woman. At the thought, heat pooled in her belly. She shook her head. She could never. How would she even ask him? And he probably wouldn’t even want to, not with her.

“Really? Was it good? What’d you think? Did the girl like it?”

“Girls. And yeah, it was fine. Avaric, I really think we need to study.”

But Elphaba had noticed something. The way Avaric was questioning him, the look in Avaric’s eyes as he asked… he didn’t actually know. She’d always suspected Avaric was lying about his exploits, but seeing him now, she knew it for certain. Ha!

Avaric was frowning at Fiyero now, but quieted down, which was a relief. For the next hour, the two were quiet enough that she was able to focus somewhat, when she wasn’t obsessing over the newfound knowledge that Fiyero had experience.

“Miss Elphaba?”

She’d been so engrossed in her study of genomes that she had barely noticed the library was closing. Fiyero stood at her table, Avaric a few feet behind him gathering his books. “Oh! Thanks for checking on me. I’d better pack up.”

“Actually, I need to talk to you.” He shifted, and she tried not to stare as the diamonds of his tattoos rippled on the ochre skin of his forearm.

“Really?” Her heart thudded in her chest. Had he noticed her listening? He couldn’t have, could he? He definitely didn’t know what had gone on in her head. Why was she worried?

“Yes. I know it might seem forward, but I mean nothing by this. Would you mind coming to my place for lunch on Tuesday? I have to discuss something with you in private. I promise it’s nothing unbecoming. I know some girls wouldn’t be seen alone with a man they’re not courting, but I would prefer we have this discussion in private.”

_ Nothing unbecoming? Too bad _ . “I have no problem with that. You’re in the apartments?”

“Yes. Room 23 on the second floor.”

“Around noon on Tuesday, then?”

“Yes. I’ll have some food ready.”

“You cook?”

“A little. I do live alone and the food in the cafeteria leaves something to be desired.”

She smiled at that. “That’s for sure. Um, yeah, I’ll see you then.”

“Great.” He smiled back at her and turned around, joining Avaric as they left the building.

What in Oz was this about? She couldn’t fathom a reason Fiyero would need to talk to her privately. On the other hand, it could be a good opportunity to talk to him, maybe get an idea if he’d be interested in helping her on her quest to lose her virginity. He’d be perfect, after all. He was decent-looking. He had a wife lined up already, so there’d be no worry about either of them developing feelings or even courting. However, Elphaba had never talked to boys like they were boys. She’d always been blunt and honest. But she wasn’t willing to just come out with this until she had a better grasp on his feelings on it. 

Glinda knew how to talk to boys - how to be coy and subtle. Perhaps she needed some sage advice from her roommate. She couldn’t share what she was doing, nor could she lie and say she was interested in a boy. Glinda knew her better than that. The best way to go about this would be to get Glinda talking and give her the idea to talk about boys herself.

“How’s it going?” Elphaba asked her roommate after she’d gotten in and put her things down.

“Is this sorcery class as difficult for you as it is for me?” Glinda sighed, putting her wand on her desk.

“I think you might be doing better than me in sorcery, Glinda.”

The blonde brightened at that. “Really? But you’re the best student in the senior class.”

“At academics, maybe. Sorcery is different.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“I can’t believe we’re going to graduate within a year.”

“Me, either.”

“What do you plan to do?”

Glinda plopped onto her bed, her curls, almost white in the light of the room, bounced all over her pillow. “I’m not certain. I don’t want to go back to Frottica. I’ve seen all there is to see there and I know everyone. I’d like to meet new people.”

“New men?”

Glinda flushed. “Maybe.”

“It’s funny, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you talk to boys you’re interested in.”

“I was interested in Avaric when we first got here. I got over that fairly quickly, though.” Glinda stuck her tongue out.

“I’m glad you did,” Elphaba laughed. “Ew.”

“He’s not so bad to look at, and he is actually somewhat intelligent.” Glinda’s dainty little nose turned up a bit. 

“But his personality is atrocious!”

“I know. That’s why I got over it.”

“How do you even do it? Talk to boys?”

“What do you mean? I talk to boys all the time.”

“Boys you’re interested in. I have no interest, but I am curious what it looks like.” 

Glinda smiled a little. “Well, you try to keep an air of mystery, I guess. You want them to be eager to know more about you. And you  _ never _ act forward or suggestive. Boys have to work for it.”

Elphaba bit her lip. In her situation, she didn’t want there to be any working for it. And she was probably going to be forward and suggestive, if she felt safe doing so. Mystery she could do, though. “So that’s what flirting looks like?”

“A little. You have to follow their lead.”

“I’d love to observe someone flirting some time.”

“But not do it yourself?”

“No! I just think it’d be interesting to watch.”

“You are such a boring prude, Elphie.”

_ I’m anything but _ .


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Fiyero and Elphaba make some interesting propositions.

He had decided to be direct in what he needed, though he’d emphasize that his people were needy. Elphaba was generally a direct person, so he doubted she’d like it if he beat around the bush. He made a lasagna for lunch - his mother’s recipe. He was somewhat surprised she’d agreed to meet him at his apartment, since most girls wouldn’t. It might hurt their reputations if there was even the hint that anything improper could’ve happened. Then again, Elphaba never seemed to care much about her reputation. And recently Shiz had loosened a few rules, at least for the senior students. Curfew was dismissed to make courting easier, though Madame Morrible had reminded them of her ridiculous “morals clause” in the student agreement that meant all students had to remain chaste unless they were married. There had been several eyerolls at that announcement. She’d also loosened the rules about students of opposite genders being alone together, again reminding them of her other rules.

Elphaba knocked on the door at exactly noon and he let her in, watching her as her chestnut eyes roamed his small, one-room apartment before turning to him with an expectant look. “Good afternoon, Prince Fiyero.”

“Please, forget the formalities. It’s just Fiyero. It’s not like I call you Third Thropp Descending Elphaba.”

“Fair enough,” she smiled at that. “That would be exhausting, calling me that all the time, huh? At least ‘prince’ is just one word.”

His small table was already set with food. He gestured to it and waited for her to sit down. “Tell me more about that, though. How does it work?”

“Is that why you asked me here?”

“Always to the point, huh? I like that. It actually does have to do with why I asked you here. I’ll explain in a moment.”

“Well, Eminent Thropp is passed down through my mother’s line. It goes through the women first, then the men, which is quite different from the rest of Oz. My great-grandfather had no sisters and there were no eligible females when the title was given to him. It would go to my grandmother, First Thropp Descending, or my mother, Second Thropp Descending, before me, but they are not of this world. So when my great-grandfather passes, I will be Eminent Thropp.” She studied her food for a moment, brushing back a strand of black hair that had escaped her braid. “This looks good.”

“Thank you.” Fiyero took a bite. It was not bad, though never comparable to his mother’s cooking. “So tell me, is this a position with a lot of power in Munchkinland?”

“Yes. And my father loves that. He wants to basically force religion on the entire area, but he’s got the wrong daughter for that.” She laughed, her eyes lighting up. “Anyway, what does that have to do with why I’m here?” She started eating her food and nodded her approval at him, indicating she liked it.

“I need your help. Actually, my people need your help.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you’re not Eminent Thropp yet, but I’m assuming it won’t be long. I’m also assuming you’ll see your great-grandfather sometime soon after graduation so you can better understand the post.”

“You’d be correct.”

“Well, every few years we formulate trade agreements. Most of the time, we’ve traded with the Quadlings. We need the coin and food. We supply some meat, some rice and quite a bit of cotton and silk. In the next two years, it’ll be time for a new agreement. And, unfortunately, the Scrow have already been discussing this with the Quadlings, and the tribes… well, they don’t share well.”

She stopped chewing for a moment and studied him with chestnut eyes. “So you need a trade agreement and you’re hoping my connections in Munchkinland will make that come about?” 

“Pretty much.” He admitted.

“I was wracking my brain trying to figure out why you asked me here. This never occurred to me.”

“Really?”

“Honestly, there are times I forget about Eminent Thropp altogether, Fiyero. Are there ever times you forget about being a prince?” Her eyebrows raised at him.

“Out here, maybe a little. Back home, not so much.”

“Back home I always forget. My father has very little money. We don’t seem like the family of the future Eminent Thropp. But I’m sure it’s different for you.”

“Yes.”

Elphaba put her fork down. “So, I’ll do it. I can contact my great-grandfather now and lay the groundwork.”

“Really? That easily?”

She was speaking fast. “I’m assuming your people will starve if you don’t come up with an agreement?”

“Maybe. We might be able to live on rice and meat, but…”

“And I’m guessing the City won’t trade or help, with the Wizard being the racist he is?”

“I wasn’t going to call the Wizard a racist, but you are right, they won’t help.”

“Then I will. I have the ability to help and it costs me nothing, maybe even benefits us. Just promise me none of your meat is Animal?”

“Of course not,” he assured her.

“Then let’s see what we can get worked out. My grandfather might be persuaded, and if not, you have a promise from me personally.” She stuck her hand out to shake.

He took it. “That’s great. Elphaba, thank you so much.”

“We’ll need to hammer out some details.”

“We’ve got time.”

“We do.” She took a deep breath, a small smile curving around her mouth.

“Is there anything I can do for you, though?”

She chewed at her lip. “Well, actually… Fiyero, I heard your conversation with Avaric at the library.”

He paused, trying to remember.

“About sex.”

Shit. Women hated hearing that sort of thing. Many men did, too. And it was incredibly inappropriate for the library. Was she going to judge him? “Oh! I’m sorry. That wasn’t for polite company. It wasn’t a good conversation to have in public. Avaric…”

“Is it true, Fiyero?” She cut him off.

“Is what?”

“Your history? That you have experience?”

“Yes.” He wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but he might as well be honest.

“Let me preface this by saying that whatever happens with this conversation will in no way affect the trade agreement. This is a completely separate issue. And nothing I say or ask can leave this room, understood?”

“Understood. But what are you asking, Elphaba?”

“Fuck this. I’m going to come out with it. Would you… would you be interested in taking my virginity?” Her cheeks were practically purple, she was blushing so darkly.

“What?” He stared at her. “Elphaba, I have to be married and you…”

“And I don’t. I never intend to. I never want to court or date or marry. But I want to have sex. I want to know what it’s like. If you are interested, you could have me whenever you want until graduation, as much as you please.” If she’d been talking fast before, now she was talking so quickly he could barely understand her.

He looked across the table, studying her. Unlike Avaric, he’d never found Elphaba to be unattractive. She clearly had some curves, though she tended to disguise them. Her skin could even be considered lovely with an open mind. And he had been lonely at Shiz. He could show her things she’d never have imagined. He found himself grinning. “I’d be happy to.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba and Fiyero discuss the terms of their "arrangement."

That had not come out how she had wanted it to! She’d meant to feel him out, but she’d never been good at subtleties and hints. But now it was out, and he’d actually agreed. Relief flooded her, though she still found herself a little tense. “You will?”

“I like sex. And I don’t get any here.” His eyes were boring into her, though she could not read them. “May I ask why you chose to ask me? Was it just what you overheard?”

“No, not just that. You’re going to be married. I don’t want the chance to be there of either of us falling in love or wanting what we can’t have. With you engaged to some random Vinkun girl, it works. And I know you. You’re not disgusting, like Avaric.”

“I don’t even know that Avaric has the experience he claims to have.”

“I thought the same thing.”

“So… how would this work, Elphaba?” He leaned back a little in his chair.

“You tell me, Fiyero. You know how this goes better than I do.” She had no idea what was supposed to come next. “How much experience do you have, Fiyero?”

“More than enough for this. And yes, I’ve been with a virgin before. I’m assuming you know how that works?”

“It’ll hurt. Yes, I get it.”

“It doesn’t have to, not much. If you are aroused and comfortable, and I’m gentle enough, it should be just fine.” He leaned forward now, an intense gaze meeting her own.

“Really? Everyone always said… Huh. They said that to scare women, didn’t they?”

Fiyero shrugged. “Partly. Also, partly because it happens a lot when neither person knows what they’re doing or people get too tense or sometimes a man just doesn’t care if a woman hurts a little. I can’t promise it won’t hurt, Elphaba. But if we do this right, it might not and if it does, it won’t be too bad.”

“So how do we ‘do this right,’ then, Fiyero?”

“I think we should start slow. Have you ever even been touched or kissed, Elphaba?”

She shook her head, feeling her cheeks heat under his gaze.

“I want you to get comfortable with me, comfortable enough to relax. And I want to teach you things, talk you through a few things. So, here’s my idea: the first time we try anything we will not be having sex. All clothes will stay on. We’ll kiss and touch, but only through clothes. The second time, I will undress you and you can undress me. We will touch and I can show you a few fun ways to use that mouth of yours, and maybe I’ll use mine, but again, we won’t have sex. I don’t want you feeling too vulnerable or uncomfortable naked in front of me, so I want you to adjust to being naked around me first. The third time, we will have sex. And after that, we’ll figure out how often to meet if we should choose to continue having sex, which I think we should for at least some time so that you can start to discover the real pleasures of sex. How does that sound to you?”

Elphaba realized her mouth was hanging open slightly and she was squeezing her thighs together. She shifted quickly. “I trust you. I’m in.”

“Now, you mentioned that there would be no affection or falling in love. I agree. So let’s set a few ground rules on that end, okay?”

“Good idea.”

“I’ll start. No silly nicknames. No emotional talk. We can stay friendly, and talk about class or whatever, but nothing further.” 

“Sounds good. No compliments about anything other than body parts.”

He laughed. “Nice one. No spending the night unless we are up all night fucking. We can take breaks or short naps between, but no sleeping here. You can stay the first time, as you will likely be sore. I assume doing all this here is the best idea, as I have the place to myself?”

“Yes. And I’d prefer not spending the night, actually. While curfew may be more… lax, my roommate would have questions.”

“Then that works for both of us.” Fiyero paused. “Elphaba, how much do you know about sex?”

“I’ve read anatomy books, looked at detailed drawings.” Elphaba added something even Glinda didn’t know. “I’ve also read a few books that are somewhat underground in nature - descriptive books that some might consider vulgar but others might read for pleasure.”

He smirked at that. “Oh?”

“Curiosity, Fiyero.”

“Have you ever… touched yourself?”

“Once,” she admitted. “It felt nice, but it was short-lived because I have very little privacy, and it’s always been that way.”

“I have another question, and do not get bothered by this. Are you, by any chance, allergic to water?”

Her eyes widened. She’d never even told Glinda. Yes, she was sure Glinda and others had noticed her avoidance, but very few questioned her about it. She felt herself getting defensive, as she always did if it was ever brought up. Elphaba took a deep breath before answering. “Yes. You could tell?”

“I had a feeling, but I never wanted to ask. How do you bathe?”

“Oils.”

“What happens if you touch water?”

She met his eyes. Only her mother and father knew the full details of her allergy. But if she was going to share it with anyone else, it should be someone she was going to have to be vulnerable with, after all. “It’s like fire, Fiyero. It burns. More than a cup or two could easily kill me or at least critically wound me.”

“Thank you. I appreciate how honest and straightforward you’ve been about all of this. I know it might be uncomfortable for you.”

“Why did you need to know that last bit about my allergy?”

“Some people take showers or bathe together while getting intimate. I had a feeling that might be out of the question. I also wanted to make sure you were safe here. A half-full glass of water on the nightstand while the bed is shaking could obviously cause you much pain. I’ll be careful of that.”

None of that had crossed her mind. “Oh. Thank you.” The question tugged at her. “Can I ask something else?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you agree to this?”

“As I said, I like sex. And I know you trust me. I trust you, too, Elphaba. I know you won’t be like most of the women around here. And, since I know you’re thinking it, you’re not as ugly as you seem to think you are.”

She bit back a smile. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re sure about this, though?”

“Really, Fiyero? I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.”

“I thought so.” He picked up her plate and his and tossed them in the sink. “Meet me here Friday evening?”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.” She stood up and got ready to leave.

“So will I.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba and Fiyero spend some time alone.

He spent the rest of the week focused on Friday. Fiyero had to remind himself multiple times that he was going to take it easy, and there wouldn’t be any fucking. It didn’t matter. The idea of touching her and kissing her was enough to keep him aroused. He blamed that on how lonely he’d been.

She arrived just after dinner, apprehension scrawled on her face. Of course she was nervous. He’d take care of that. Elphaba’s eyes moved slowly up and down his body, then settled at meeting his eyes. “So…”

“Relax,” he assured her. “If you’re tense about this, you’ll be tense about everything else. And we don’t want that.” He drew her close to him and tilted her chin up with his finger. “I’m going to kiss you, Elphaba.” And that was all the warning he gave her. He pressed his lips against hers, feeling her lips quiver beneath him. He put pressure on her lips and they opened for him, soft and welcoming. 

She pulled him closer, one hand at the back of his neck, the other pressed against his chest. He felt her shudder as he pressed his tongue between her lips, meeting hers. A muffled moan escaped when he slid his hand down her back, pulling her waist against his. She did not back away or even let him take the lead, rather she invited him in and took control. She was deliciously responsive.

When the kiss finally ended, she looked up at him, eyes wide. “That was not what I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“I guess I was foolish and thought it’d be a quick peck. This was something that my father would consider indecent in front of people.” But she was smiling.

“If that surprised you, you’re in for a shock,” he teased.

“I doubt that.”

He nudged her toward his bed. “Come on. We’ll sit and talk for a few minutes, first.”

She sat down on his bed, leaning on a pillow. “From that kiss, I doubt you’re interested in talking.”

He chuckled. “You’re right. But let’s go over a few things. Nothing major will happen tonight, but I may say a few things. I like to talk a little dirty sometimes, and you will find that I do not use the correct anatomical terms.”

“I should suppose not.”

“If it makes you uncomfortable in any way, please tell me. In fact, even if we’re in the middle of something, if I do something that you don’t like or you don’t want, you need to tell me immediately. This is about you right now.”

“I don’t think I’ll mind the talk, Fiyero. And I promise I’ll tell you if something isn’t right. I’m not the type to grin and bear it.” He barely processed what she was saying, focusing on her delectable swollen lips as she spoke. 

His hands went to her hair and he undid her braid. “Let your hair down, literally and figuratively, okay?”

“Okay.” She gazed at him with innocent, wondering eyes. This was going to be too much fun. He couldn’t wait to see her eyes hooded with lust or wide with pleasure. 

“Now, I’m going to kiss you. And I’m going to touch. You can touch me wherever you want. Remember, clothes are staying on, but that doesn’t mean my hand won’t go up your dress. It just means I won’t slip my hand into your panties or your bra.”

She nodded. “I’m relatively sure I wouldn’t stop you if that happened, anyway.”

He grinned. “You are perfect.” He pressed his lips against hers again and she instantly opened her mouth for him, meeting his tongue with her own. Fiyero pressed her into the bed, climbing over her and pushing his hips against hers, wondering if she could feel him. 

She moved her hands along his chest, her fingers drawing patterns on the thin fabric. Her hips ground against his, and he felt her gasp a little beneath him. Her legs parted when he nudged his leg between them, feeling her against him. He thrust his leg a little, giving her some friction as she moaned into his mouth.

He cupped her breast through her dress, groping at her flesh, moving from one to the other. He grunted as her hands moved lower down his chest. She was just as bold as he’d hoped. It was going to be so hard to take it slowly when she was right here practically begging. Fiyero broke the kiss and began kissing down her neck. “You’re irresistible,” he told her.

“I can’t help it,” she purred. She reached between them and brushed her hands against his crotch. “You’re hard,” she murmured.

“I am.” Fiyero decided to slip his hand up her skirt. “Are you wet? Soaking through your panties?”

“I don’t… oh!” She gasped as his hand brushed against her sweet pussy though the cloth of her panties. She whimpered when he began rubbing back and forth with more pressure. Her hands explored his cock beneath his trousers as he did. 

He pulled back to look at her face. “You are soaked. I knew you had this in you.”

“Please. Touch me. For real.” Her back arched toward him. “I need to feel you touch me.”

How could he refuse? He slid his hand into her panties and gently drew his finger along her opening, then moved toward her clit as she moaned softly. Fiyero circled her clit with his finger. “Like that?”

“Please, more. Inside me…”

“Next time, I promise. My fingers and my tongue.”

She whimpered again.

“But I don’t need to put my fingers inside you to make you come. Just a little external pressure…” He pushed down toward her clit, his fingers moving faster.

“Fiyero!” Her breathing was strained and she was tensing beneath him. She got wetter and wetter as he continued teasing her. Her clit twitched as he moved and she let out a yelp when she came on his hand. She was still panting as he drew his hand away and licked his fingers, eagerly anticipating what she’d taste like next time.

“There is so much more where that came from.” He promised her. “But that’s as far as we go today, as tempting as it is.”

Her eyes were still glazed when she looked at him. “What was that? Was that…?”

“An orgasm, Elphaba.”

“That was fantastic.”

“And probably a minor one. It gets better, I swear.”

“Really?”

“Just you wait.” He laughed. But he could feel himself straining through his trousers. He liked focusing on her, but apparently he was in need of relief. He’d take care of that when she left.

“Can I… can I touch you?” She brushed her fingers against him. “Maybe just undo a button or two on your trousers?” Elphaba began on the first button, meeting his eyes.

“You want to?”

“More than you can imagine.”

Fiyero closed his eyes as Elphaba’s thin fingers found his cock. “Then, please, go ahead.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba finds her mind wandering more often than it should.

Before Glinda could even greet her, she grabbed her oils and nightclothes and ran into the bathroom to change. She had straightened herself out as best she could before she left Fiyero’s, but she understood now why people would say sex had a certain smell, and she must reek of it even if they hadn’t done as much. Elphaba tore her clothes off in the bathroom and poured a small puddle of oil into her palm.

She had intended to let herself enjoy him, and to act on impulse, though she’d worried she wouldn’t know what she was doing. But touching him and being touched by him felt so natural, and her body had reacted instinctively. Elphaba flushed again and she remembered how she had begged him to break the rules he had set, how wanton she must’ve sounded - not that he had complained, of course.

As she ran her hands along her skin, she recalled his touch and she found herself trying to mimic the movement of his hands between her legs. Her head fell back and her eyes closed, but then Glinda knocked on the door.

“Elphaba, I need to use the ladies’ room, please.”

Elphaba quickly finished oiling up, threw her nightclothes on and let Glinda into the restroom. She sat on her bed quietly when Glinda came back in.

“Is everything right with you?”

“Of course. I’m just tired and I wanted to change and get to bed.”

“Oh. Well, goodnight, Elphie.”

Elphaba pulled her quilt over herself and rolled to her side, but found it hard to sleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about what her next visit with Fiyero would be like. He’d told her enough that she could almost picture everything in her mind, and she knew she’d get wet again if she thought about it too much. She struggled to put the thoughts aside. She wasn’t sure when she finally fell asleep.

She had sent her great-grandfather a general letter only briefly mentioning the trade agreement so that she could continue to plan the idea in his mind slowly. Elphaba waited for a return letter every morning when they dropped mail under the student doors. There wasn’t a response yet, though the Oz mail was often absurdly slow.

As she walked to sorcery class with Glinda Monday morning, Boq and Milla joined them. Milla had a class in the same building, and Boq always walked her. He was boring as ever, but he did seem to be a very dutiful boyfriend to Milla. Elphaba couldn’t imagine how dull their conversations must be, however. Courting overall seemed dull, but Boq must make it even worse. She was glad she’d be spared all of that.

They passed Fiyero on their way to class. She must’ve passed him dozens of times, but never truly noticed. Their eyes met and Fiyero gave her a knowing look before walking by. Curse him! She’d finally managed to stop daydreaming about his touch and he had to look at her like that? Elphaba shook her head, but for the entirety of sorcery class she was distracted, and sorcery class was the worst class to be distracted in.

“Be careful, Elphie! You almost set my hair on fire!” Glinda squealed.

Elphaba looked over at her. They’d been practicing lighting candles and Elphaba hadn’t exactly been focusing on where she was aiming. “Oops! I’m sorry.”

Madame Morrible floated over. “Girls, is there an issue?”

“No, Madame,” Glinda replied. “Elphie just needs to work on her aim a little.”

“That doesn’t sound like you, Elphaba,” Morrible observed.

“I’m just tired, that’s all.” Elphaba wouldn’t meet the woman’s eyes. She never liked what she saw in them.

As Madame Morrible walked away, Glinda eyed her. “You’re not tired. I know you when you’re tired. And you slept just fine last night because I wake up at the slightest noise. So why’d you lie?”

“Because I don’t like the nosy bitch,” Elphaba muttered.

“Elphie!”

“You know I don’t.”

“Well, you are distracted. Why?”

“I honestly couldn’t tell you, Glinda. I’m just a little out-of-it. Maybe the old biddy but a spell on me.”

“You are awful,” Glinda huffed.

Elphaba only shrugged. She’d avoided Glinda’s suspicion for now. Later down the line, she may not be so lucky. She doubted she’d be this distractible forever. She was just a little bothered by lust. Once she adjusted, she’d be back to normal. But still, she was looking forward to her next visit with Fiyero more than she had thought she might. At first, she’d figured she’d just be eager to get it out of the way, now she wanted more of that rush. 

Fiyero was in one class with her on Tuesdays, and she tried, at first, to ignore that he existed. That didn’t work. Her eyes kept drifting over to him, to the outline of his lips, or the way his hands moved. She rolled her eyes at herself. What was coming over her? She was better than this. She wasn’t some pathetic school girl! That thought managed to snap her out of whatever it was that had overcome her for a bit.

“Miss Elphaba!”

She had been so engrossed in her notes, she hadn’t noticed Fiyero standing in front of her desk. She swallowed hard and looked up at him. “Yes, Master Fiyero?”

His voice lowered slightly, though most of their classmates had already left the room. “I’m afraid I’ve found myself a bit impatient to discuss more about the… trade agreement. Would you mind moving our meeting up to Wednesday evening? I promise not to keep you too late. We could even meet again on Friday to… finish.”

Sweet Oz, he was driving her wild. It wasn’t fair. Although... had he just implied he was just as excited about this as she was? “Don’t worry about keeping me late. I don’t have class on Thursday until after lunch. And yes, that sounds like a great plan. I’ll talk to you then. Same time?”

“I’ll be counting down the minutes.” He winked at her and walked away.

She sat in a daze for a moment before blinking quickly and grabbing her things. She shut herself into her room, grateful Glinda wasn’t there. Elphaba threw herself on the bed and sighed heavily. Good. She’d get what she was wanting faster and then this could all be out of her head. Yes, they’d probably do it plenty more times, but after the first time there’d be no wondering just how it would feel.

Glinda came in a few minutes later. “You look happy.”

“I do?”

“You’re smiling.”

“Oh. Huh. I was just thinking about graduation, and the future. I guess I’m excited about it.” Elphaba felt the urge to share the truth with Glinda for a brief moment. But she knew she couldn’t. Glinda went along with some of her more “tasteless” ideas, but this would obviously be too much for her. She’d be horrified. It was too bad, though. Beneath her horror, Glinda would probably be curious, too, and want to know what Elphaba learned and felt. But that horror would never go away, and, as much as she wanted to believe she didn’t care what anyone else thought of her, Elphaba cared a great deal about what Glinda thought of her, though she’d never tell her that. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero finds himself as distracted as Elphaba. He also has some questions for her.

His entire room smelled like her from the moment she left his apartment. There was that sweet, coconut smell which he now guessed was from her oil. There was also the hint of her arousal. Then there was a touch of spice. He wasn’t sure where that came from. Maybe it was just her. He had washed the sheets and comforter, but the smell lingered. Fiyero couldn’t help thinking of touching her, tasting her, fucking her… It had to be because he felt so isolated here and she was the only one he had let in. That was all.

When he had suggested to her that they move the second meeting up, her eyes had darkened with the same lust he imagined his held. At least they were on the same page, as it was. He couldn’t blame her, though. As open and bold as she was, she was still a virgin begging to learn, and he was more than happy to teach her.

He had managed to keep his eyes off her during their Tuesday class, but he swore he could smell and taste her presence the entire lecture. His scribbles in his notebook ended up being utter nonsense. That’s when he decided they needed to move a little faster. Taste her Wednesday. Fuck her Friday. 

“You know,” Elphaba said when she sat down next to him before their Wednesday evening class, “you sure seemed to be in a rush to talk to me about the agreement.”

“Are you having second thoughts, Miss Elphaba?”

“Oh no, nothing like that.” Elphaba’s eyes traveled the room, not looking at him as she spoke. The lecture hall was virtually empty aside from the two of them. 

“Good. While I would certainly accept your decision, I must say I’d be quite disappointed.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that, Fiyero. I’m quite set in my ways and I am ready and willing.”

“You are so much more than I thought you were,” he commented.

“What’d you think I was?”

“I’m not really sure, to be honest. I just wasn’t expecting how open you are.”

“I thought you wanted me to be open.”

“I do. I’ve just never seen anyone take to it like you.” It was true. Especially with her inexperience, he hadn’t expected her to act on her desires without thought, to be so impulsive and real. It was refreshing. Even Vinkun women didn’t act like that.

“I’m going to move now,” she whispered as other students started trickling in. “I don’t want anyone talking.”

“We are friendly. I don’t think anyone would talk.” Except they might. And sitting next to her was fairly distracting and arousing. He could use some air.

Elphaba had already gotten up. “You know what I mean.” And she was gone. Even then, he was still unfocused for the rest of class.

He kissed her heavily when she arrived at his apartment, and he responded in kind. When he pulled back, she was looking up at him with a smile. Fiyero sat her down on his bed. “We can talk now. And there are a few things we should talk about.”

“Oh?”

“Well, perhaps we should start with my asking if you have some way of making certain you do not get pregnant, since in two days that might be pertinent.”

“I’m covered.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“You are aware there are potions and herbs women can take, even if it’s something that’s generally kept quiet. If you think I don’t know that, you’ve mistaken me for stupid.”

He chuckled. “Good, good. Now, let’s talk about today and Friday. Today we’re going to have a little fun sans clothing, but no sex. If you are uncomfortable putting my cock in your mouth at first, that’s fine, we can just do other things.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it.” She gave him a sly smile.

He was already aroused, but moved on with the conversation. “Now, let’s talk about Friday. I’m going to make sure you’re more than wet and ready. We’ll do a lot we’ve already done before we actually get to it. But it’ll be up to you to relax. I’m not going to ask you if you’re sure or anything like that. I will make sure you have time to stop me and I will keep my eyes on yours. I really think you should come prepared to stay the night. Like I said, you may be sore afterward. I’m going to be nice to you, probably sweet, sweeter than usual. I don’t know what you’ll feel afterward, but I want you to feel safe and comfortable with me this first time. I will probably talk dirty, but I promise to be as gentle as I can.”

“I appreciate that. You don’t need to walk me through everything, Fiyero.”

“I won’t after this.” Fiyero paused. “You said something the other day, about your father and how he might consider a kiss indecent.”

“And?”

“I was thinking about that, and you’re a minister’s daughter, Elphaba. Is that the reason you’re doing this? To defy your father?”

She cackled. “No. I’m doing it for curiosity, and for pleasure. I couldn’t care about my father one way or the other, and he will never know I’ve done this.”

“But you don’t subscribe to his religion, I’m assuming?”

“Most definitely not. Do you have a religion, Fiyero? What is religion like in the Vinkus?”

“There isn’t much of one. Some of the Scrow worship the old gods and still trade myths, but we’ve just… fallen out of it. Occasionally a Lurlinist or Unionist minister will wander our way and try to start up a following, but it never amounts to much and eventually they give up.”

“That sounds about as successful as my father in Quadling Country,” Elphaba laughed. “Good for you and your people. I think most religions are bullshit. My sister keeps trying to insist we all at least have souls, but I’m certain I don’t have one.”

“I’m not sure about souls. But I don’t really pay attention to theological debate, so I don’t suppose it matters much to me.”

Elphaba caught him by surprise and kissed him, pulling him close. Her hands immediately went to the bottom of his shirt, tugging it up. She pulled back from the kiss to pull the shirt over his head and stopped, simply staring at him. “I always wondered…”

“About the tattoos?” He threw the shirt to the floor and rolled her so she was beneath him. “Yes, they’re everywhere.”

Her hands traced them on his chest one at a time with agonizing, deliberate movements. She was smiling, focused only on him. “What do they mean?”

“It’s been a tradition since ancient times. We actually don’t even really remember why we do it. But we choose the pattern.” He was enjoying the way she looked at him.

“Why’d you choose this? The blue diamonds?”

“Honestly? I was thirteen and I just liked it.”

“It’s a nice design on you.” 

“Thanks.” He started kissing her, her chin and then down her neck. As her head fell back, he moved his hands to her blouse and began working at the buttons. “I think maybe we’re done talking, now.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba struggle to hold back growing tension when they meet again.

Five minutes and already he’d turned her into pure lust. Her blouse was half-open and he was kissing a line along her collarbone. She had ached to feel his hands truly touch her skin, and when he finished with the buttons on her blouse, she happily shrugged out of it. Her bra came off so quickly she hadn’t even noticed he was removing it.

He pulled back and his eyes roamed her torso. Elphaba couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his head. Was he horrified at her skin color? Did he want her still? He quelled her doubts when he said, “Damn. I’ve been imagining you for days, and still this is better.”

She moaned as he touched her breasts, cupping one in each hand. This was skin that had never been touched by anyone else, and it was making her skin tingle. She gasped as he gently ran his thumbs over her nipples and they pebbled beneath his touch. He had returned to kissing her collarbone, and he was clearly making his way toward her breast. His hot breath on her skin had her craving more. She ran her fingers through his hair. “Fiyero…”

His hands moved down her belly as he finally rounded her breasts with his lips. Fiyero’s mouth covered one nipple and began circling the tip with his tongue as she clutched at the back of his head. He undid the buttons on her skirt and pulled it down her legs. “I’ve dreamed about your pussy,” he murmured, before switching to her other breast with his mouth.

His words stirred heat within her and she was breathless as he cupped her pussy over her panties before sliding his fingers under the fabric and tugging at it. She could already tell that she was wet, and he grinned at her as he noticed. He looked ready to devour her, and she was more than ready to be devoured. But she wanted more than that, too. “Wait,” she breathed. “Let me take off your pants.”

Fiyero stood up as Elphaba scooted to the edge of the bed. She kissed the muscles that were tight in his abdomen as she unfastened his trousers and let them fall to the floor. As she hooked her hands into the waistband of his shorts and yanked them down, Fiyero turned her face up to face him, catching her eyes for a moment before she looked at him. His cock was hard and throbbing and… huge. 

She studied his cock, running her hands over it for a moment, feeling the veins and how hot he was in her hands. In her anatomy books, the drawings of men were flaccid. She had never seen an erect cock before. Elphaba allowed herself to admit that it made her a little nervous, how large it was, how she couldn’t wrap her hands around it fully. Now she understood better why sex could hurt at first. She’d touched him the time before, but really seeing him now was different.

He reached down and touched her hand. “Elphaba, don’t worry. I know what you’re thinking.” Fiyero pressed her back on the bed. “We’re not there yet, anyway.” He finished removing her panties, now soaked through. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she breathed. Her heart thudded in her chest as his fingers traced her thighs, working upwards. 

“Then you’ll be fine. If you are aroused, which I will make sure you are...” Slowly, a finger pressed at her entrance and her hips rose to meet him as that finger slipped inside of her. “It will make it so easy for you. You will open for me.” Fiyero groaned as he thrust his finger once. “You feel amazing. Gods, you’re so wet for me.” His next thrust included a second finger.

She whimpered. “I can’t help it. I don’t know how you do this to me.” Her eyes closed as she felt the swift strokes of his fingers going in and out with increasing speed and pressure. His thumb teased at her swollen nub and she gasped when he added a third finger. “Please don’t stop. It feels perfect.”

He pushed her legs open further and kissed down her stomach. “See? You’re already taking more.” His fingers were in her to the knuckle, and curved slightly, hitting a spot that made her moan helplessly. “There we go. Take it, Elphaba.” His kisses moved down and his thumb pulled back slightly to be replaced by his mouth.

Pleasure was building inside her and she moved with him, wanting that budding release. His tongue lowered slightly and he removed his hands altogether, instead keeping one on each thigh as his tongue dipped inside her. “Fiyero!” She couldn’t take it, the pressure within her was almost to explosion, and when he took one finger and teased her clit, she screamed his name as it burst within her and she moved against him until it slowed.

He lapped up her juices, licking her thighs. “Damn, you really get wet, don’t you?” Fiyero smirked at her, then moved to kiss her mouth. She could taste herself on his lips and tongue. 

He was right, though. She was surprised the entire bed wasn’t soaked. She panted and looked up at him. “That was… you were right when you said it gets even better. If fucking is even better than that…”

“It is. And you’ll find that out Friday. Because I as much as I would love to fuck you right this moment…” At that, he rubbed his cock between her legs, coating it in fluid. “I won’t tonight. Like I said, you may be sore afterward. I want you to have as much time to recuperate as possible. And even if you aren’t sore, then I want the night with you for a repeat performance, and the morning. And I can’t have that tonight.” He fisted his cock and moved his hand up and down it.

“No, no, don’t you do that,” she murmured, sitting up. “I want everything I can have now, and that includes your cock in my mouth.” Elphaba grabbed him, no longer intimidated by his size and delighted with it, instead. “Stand up.”

Fiyero got off the bed, eyeing her. “Ready when you are.”

She was no longer self conscious of the fact that she was naked, or that she was dripping a little still between her legs. Elphaba got on her knees before him. She ran her hands up and down his cock, feeling it pulse in her hands. Then, thrust her tongue out, touching just the tip of his cock and slowly moving upward. Elphaba hadn’t thought pleasuring someone else could be this arousing.

Fiyero groaned when she put her mouth around him, her lips moving up and down on his cock. He thrust slightly into her mouth as she grabbed his bottom, dragging him closer, almost gagging as she took him deeper. “I cannot wait to fuck that pussy like I’m fucking your mouth,” he grunted.

Elphaba fisted the rest of him that she couldn’t fit in her mouth as he moved with more fervor, pumping into her mouth. She could tell he was getting close and she wanted to taste him. She flicked her tongue along his length, sliding her lips up and down.

“Elphaba, damn you just surprise me, and you make me surprise myself…” His voice trailed off and he groaned as he spilled in her mouth.

She was surprised at the taste of him, tangy and almost sweet. When she swallowed, which made him grin wickedly, she then licked the last remnants off him. “That was actually more fun than I had thought.”

He laughed. “Come here.” Fiyero pulled her into his bed. “You’re amazing, you know that? I didn’t have to tell you what to do or how…”

“Like I told you, I’ve read a few explicit books, Fiyero. And I can figure things out.” 

He pressed his face into her hair for a moment, lying beside her. “Let’s do all that again in a few minutes before you go back, huh?”

“Gladly.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero finds that this little plan is more of a distraction than he had expected. He exchanges notes with Elphaba.

“You know,” she said, after a few minutes, “I thought it would taste bad.”

Amused, he replied, “Oh? And how did it taste?”

“Not bad. I kind of liked it.” She rolled over, propped her head up on her hands and looked at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to fuck me tonight? Because I don’t think I could resist.”

He reached up and kissed her, drawing her close to him. “Mmm, you know I would. But I meant what I said. And you will be sore.” Her body was warm in his arms, her skin smooth and delicate. He traced his fingers up and down her hips. He was again overwhelmed by her scent, by the look of her naked and flushed. 

She pouted playfully. “I won’t push it. But you don’t have to be too gentle, you know.”

“Are you telling me you want me to play it rough when I fuck you?”

“Mmm, maybe a little.”

“I don’t know what you like, Elphaba…”

“I think I like it intense. Gentle isn’t necessarily intense. And you weren’t exactly gentle when you were ramming your cock down my throat, but I liked that.”

Fiyero chuckled. “Fair enough. I’ll start a little gentle, but you tell me what you want, then. After all, I like a woman who can talk dirty.”

“I can do that.” Elphaba grabbed his face and kissed him hard. “You said something about doing this all again, though?”

By the time she left, he could barely think straight. How was he going to function for the next 48 hours? Her naked body was etched in his mind, the face she made when she came permanently on display. He wanted to watch her come as he fucked her raw. And he would, just not soon enough.

He was drifting through lunch barely conscious the next day when Boq sat down across from him in the cafeteria. Even though Fiyero had his own apartment, he didn’t want to cook three times a day and he liked visiting with his friends, so he often went to the cafeteria. 

“How’s it going, Fiyero?” Boq asked.

“Fine,” Fiyero replied.

Avaric followed Boq, then Crope and Tibbet. Pfanee, Shen-Shen and Milla followed as well. Fiyero quickly looked around, but found Glinda and Elphaba were nowhere to be seen. That was a relief, as he wasn’t sure he could be near Elphaba without touching her, kissing her, fucking her… He shook his head. These were not the type of thoughts to have around company.

“Fiyero, you look even more clueless than usual,” Avaric commented.

He wrinkled his nose a little. Avaric was always making thinly veiled remarks about his intelligence, though he barely bothered to speak with him to find out if they were true. He knew it was more about his skin color and Avaric’s perception of his people as “savages,” and not about his actual intellect, but it irked him nonetheless.

“It’s none of your business whether I’m feeling  _ clueless _ or not.”

Avaric looked surprised. Fiyero didn’t usually talk back that way.

Boq changed the subject. “So did you hear that Morrible had a Rat infestation in her office? I thought she was going to kill them all.”

“I’m not certain she didn’t,” Pfanee said. “And I can’t blame her. Ew.”

“Rats, though, not rats?” Fiyero asked. “I would hope she wouldn’t just kill them.”

Pfanee shrugged. 

Fiyero wondered what Elphaba would say if she was there. She’d certainly be lecturing Pfanee. And then there she was again, in his head, and his thoughts moved quickly to her body and he was lost again as the rest of the table chattered on.

Crope, sitting next to him, noticed he wasn’t participating and poked him. In a low voice he asked, “What is going on with you? You really do seem out of it.”

Fiyero snorted. “You’re one to talk. You live with your head in the clouds.”

Crope nodded. “I do. But you don’t. So what’s put your head there?”

_ Sex. Or rather, the idea of it.  _ But Fiyero knew he usually didn’t get this distracted, again blaming it on the drawn-out game he was playing with Elphaba, or on how long it had been. “Oh, nothing. It’s our last year and I’m just trying to take it in, but when I try to take it in, I get distracted…” He saw Elphaba and Glinda enter the dining hall, and he was half tempted to leave to avoid looking at Elphaba with blatant desire in his gaze. However, his friends might find that odd.

A few minutes later, Elphaba sat down on his other side and Glinda beside her. Elphaba was furiously scribbling in her notebook, something she did often even when the group was together like this. How could she possibly focus on studying and not think about fucking? He wrenched his eyes away from her.

But a moment later, a note was dropped in his lap. Beneath the table, he looked at it.  _ You probably shouldn’t look at me like that in public. _ Fiyero drew a pen from his pocket and wrote back,  _ Sorry. Can’t help it. I have a very active imagination. _

Another note.  _ Oh, so do I… trust me. _

She was killing him.  _ You know, these notes are NOT helping the situation, Elphaba. _

When she read that, she raised her eyebrows at him before scribbling the next note.  _ I don’t know why. You’re not the virgin eagerly awaiting her first time. You should be relaxed about all this.  _

He knew she was right. Fiyero hadn’t expected her to seduce him so completely, especially given her inexperience. No woman had done it this well. Perhaps she had some supernatural ability. But it was simply lust, when it boiled down to it, wasn't it? And the best thing to do for that was to fuck her until she screamed.  _ I am. I’m just eager. _

_ Obviously. _

_ You’re not? _

_ I am. I’m just not acting like an idiot. _

_ I guess that’s a male thing. Anyway, passing notes isn’t exactly the most subtle thing, either. We should stop. Oh, before I forget, bring your oils and a nightgown. Sex is messy and you’ll want to clean up before you fall asleep. _

_ Nightgown? I was kind of hoping I could sleep naked. _

_ You are killing me. _

She didn’t write another note, and for that he was grateful.

When Friday night finally appeared, he paced his room waiting for her. She appeared right at the expected time, just as she always had. She had a small knapsack with her this time. He practically yanked her into his room and kissed her heavily, tasting her mouth and needing more. He pawed at her cloak.

She put a hand over his to stop him. “Just a moment.” Elphaba stepped back, put her knapsack down and let her cloak fall from her shoulders, revealing her perfect form in only a bra and panties. She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Is that what you were expecting?”

He pursued her across the room toward the bed. “And so much more.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba has a new, pleasurable experience.

Fiyero threw her onto his bed and began kissing her, her mouth, down her neck and then across her breasts as he unfastened her bra. She pulled him as close to her as she could get him, her body humming with delight. She wanted him - now. What she hadn’t told him in her notes was that she was just as eager and lustful as he was, that he had her distracted, too, even if he didn’t see it.

She closed her eyes as his mouth found her breasts and he tugged at her panties. He was moving just as fast as she wanted him to. She was already soaked through and he laughed against her skin as he tossed her wet panties to the side of the bed. It was his fault. He’d turned her into what her father would call “a wanton harlot.” Elphaba, of course, didn’t mind it at all.

Fiyero’s fingers spread open her pussy, teasing her clit as he did. He slid a finger in, exploring her again as she arched towards him. “You are so incredibly responsive, Elphaba. I wonder how responsive you’ll feel wrapped around my cock.” He pulled her to a sitting position. “But first I want you wrapped around my tongue. I want you to come on my face, sweet Elphaba. I love how you taste.” He shifted so he had his head on the pillow, then grabbed her, pulling her parted legs to his mouth.

She placed her knees on either side of his head as he pushed his tongue into her. He moved her so his tongue was teasing her clit and he thrust two fingers inside her, quickly adding a third. She moaned and her head fell back. His curved fingers inside her slid back and forth as his tongue circled her nub. She was awash in a haze of sensation, thrusting her hips toward his mouth and hands. His other hand was on her bottom, squeezing tightly.

His movements became more insistent, and she heard herself crying out at increasing volume. His name fell from her lips over and over and she was begging. At once she squealed as that delirium came over her in waves. He didn’t stop, and instead kept moving. Her swollen, heightened nerves drove her quickly into a second orgasm, and he pushed her into a third. Fiyero finally pulled back as she quieted, and he rolled her beneath him.

She looked up at him as he positioned his cock between her spread legs, dripping for him. Elphaba wasn’t afraid, but excited. When their eyes met, she nodded at him. He rubbed his cock against her folds and she pushed her body against his as he finally entered her. His cock stretched her open, and he was buried deep within her, in places he hadn’t reached with his hands or tongue, places she’d never felt before. “Fiyero,” she breathed. “Sweet Oz. Please. Fuck me.”

“No holding back?”

“None.” She grabbed his bottom and pulled him deeper, trying not to whimper at the feeling. “Please.”

He moved against her, shoving himself into the hilt and drawing back to do it all over again. Fiyero’s lips pressed against her neck, kissing and nipping at her exposed skin as he moved. “You feel amazing. I thought nothing could be better than how I imagined your pussy around my cock, and yet… damn.” He grunted as he moved harder. 

She wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting all of him, even if it did ache slightly, even if he was stretching her beyond what she thought she was capable of, even if he was tearing her. It felt too good to allow the pain in. She knew she’d be in for it afterward, but she did not care. At that moment, everything was about him, the way his cock teased her body, about how he slid into her folds and pushed everything else away. “Fiyero… oh fuck, Fiyero!”

All of him. All of her. Everything inside was building to a plateau. His body was destroying hers, but also making her whole. He was piercing her core, and she was helpless to take him, all of him. Her body moved with him as though he owned her, commanded her. When her orgasm hit her, it took her whole body with it, from the tips of her toes to her head. She cried out wordlessly and held fast to him as he continued within her.

“That’s right, come on my cock. You love it, don’t you? You take it, Elphaba, take my cock and come for me.” He plowed into her, not slowing. “Damn I love the look on your face. I wish you could see it. And inside, the way you feel...” He groaned as he pounded her into oblivion. 

She realized she was clutching him so tightly she was digging her nails into him, but she didn’t stop. Even through the haze of orgasm, her hips continued to move with him. All her senses were heightened, her skin trembling as they continued to move together, finding a rhythm all their own. Elphaba felt the hints of another orgasm begin, and she gasped at his next thrust, even deeper than the last. 

His eyes had changed, dark and heavy. They looked at one another as he ravaged her, drove into her until she was crying out, arching toward him faster and faster, knowing another delicious peak was coming, screaming as it came. Fiyero grabbed her hips as he shoved himself deep and spilled inside her with a groan. “Elphaba…”

Elphaba reached up and placed a hand on his cheek as they looked at each other, panting. She felt almost feverish, delirious with the rush of sex. And his eyes bore into her soul, making her feel more vulnerable than she had when he first entered her. “Fiyero…” But she couldn’t find words to describe what had just happened. Amazing? Incredible? They weren’t enough. No wonder women felt changed by sex. She wasn’t changed in the way most women were, of course not, but she certainly felt more… sexual? Womanly. Before, she had never felt like a real woman, not because she was a virgin, but because of who she was, how it had been at odds with her gender and her skin. Now, she belonged in her body.

Fiyero pulled back a little, drawing himself out of her. “How are you feeling?” He asked, still breathing heavily. He collapsed beside her, smiling as he gazed at her.

Elphaba shifted slightly as the fervor within her began to fade, finding that she ached somewhat painfully. “It didn’t hurt, not during, but now… I’m sorry, I cannot complain about what just happened, but…”

“Hey, hey.” Fiyero pulled her against him. “It’s okay, Elphaba. I told you it could be like that. Don’t apologize for how you’re feeling now.”

“It’s just… it’s such a contrast to what we just did and how that felt.” Elphaba finally found the right words. “Don’t laugh. I don’t believe in heaven, or at least I thought I didn’t. But damn, Fiyero, if there is one, that damn well better be what it feels like. Maybe without the pain after the fact, though”

He grinned. “It’ll fade with practice. Can I do anything to make it better?”

She nestled herself against his chest. “No. But I understand now why you thought I needed to stay the night.” Elphaba didn’t want to move, but she felt sticky fluid seeping down her thighs. “And you were right about wanting to clean up, too.” She forced herself to sit up. “I don’t know if I can walk to the bathroom.”

“Mmm, let me help you clean up right here, then.” Fiyero got out of the bed and helped her stand. “Are your oils in the bag?”

She nodded feebly. She hadn’t thought he’d do this. And she wanted to protest, but she was also exhausted and sore. So she merely watched him get her oil and pour some into his hands, those devastating hands… 

Fiyero’s touch was feathery against her skin as he rubbed her down. He grabbed a towel to help clean the mess between her legs, and she wasn’t surprised at the small pinkish drops of fluid on it when he pulled it away. Her eyes drifted toward where she had been beneath him in the bed and found a droplet or two on his sheets, too. He followed her gaze. “Any regrets?”

“Absolutely not. If I could handle it, I’d be begging to do it again this moment.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero enjoys how much Elphaba has opened up.

He hadn’t meant to completely lose control with her, but he had. And now she was uncomfortable, and he wished he hadn’t been as rough. She was a virgin, and he’d needed to consider that. “I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he told her as he put her oils away and sat back on the bed.

“Don’t. Don’t be sorry. Like I said, that was so, so good, Fiyero. I was prepared to ache after. I knew I would. And you told me it’d stop after some good practice,” she teased. “I hope you’re not backing out on that, are you?”

“I could never back out. Having you over and over again? There’s no way I’d turn that down.” And he couldn’t. She was overwhelming in the most perfect way. Her body felt made for him, and he hoped she felt the same. As she relaxed back into the bed, he ran his hands through her hair and let her lay on his chest. One leg hooked over his, and he wrapped a hand around her hip. “We should set up a schedule,” he teased.

“I can’t even think about that right now, Fiyero. It’s too much.” She pressed a kiss against his skin. “You’re too much. And I like it.”

“Do you want to talk, or do you want to rest?”

“A little of both.” Elphaba trailed her fingers along the diamonds on his chest. “You’re being very sweet considering we agreed not to be.”

“We did  _ not _ agree not to be,” he insisted. “We agreed not to fall in love. Physical affection is not equivalent with emotional affection. And sex does create a whole bunch of hormones, Elphaba. It was your first time. I’m not going to finish, throw a towel at you and tell you to clean up and get out.” He liked having her close for a few minutes, simply for her presence. Fiyero had been bored and lonely, so it was nice to have someone to touch and hold, even if it meant nothing. That was all.

“I’m not complaining, just asking. It’s kind of nice,” she admitted. “But I promise not to spend the night again unless there is a repeat performance or two.”

Fiyero laughed. “There will be plenty of that. I doubt there will be much sleeping happening once you’re used to this. But if you feel tired now, you can sleep. You’re safe. You did threaten to sleep naked, and I’m hoping you meant it.”

“Oh, I did. I may be ready for another round in the morning, anyway.”

He didn’t think she would be, but he liked knowing she wanted it. Elphaba had no qualms about telling him what she liked or wanted, and that was a rare thing in a woman. Fiyero reached and pulled the blanket over their bodies a little and Elphaba snuggled closer. The warmth of her body spread through his. “Mmm, I enjoy your body, Elphaba. I know you have issues with it, but I personally find it quite pleasurable.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I’m growing to enjoy it a little, too. And I certainly enjoy yours.” Her hands were back on the diamonds. “Thank you for all of this. I didn’t expect this.”

“Really?”

“I mean, at the start. I expected it’d be quick, maybe a little fun, but not this, Fiyero. What you’ve done to me is beyond anything I thought I could feel.”

“I’m glad you feel that way.” He brushed some of her hair from her cheek. “I will say I got more pleasure from your body than others.”

“You mean that?””

“Yes.”

“So all women don’t feel the same to men?”

He chuckled. “You thought they did? No one looks the same or acts the same, why would they all feel the same.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Guys can be crass about sex. I figured they didn’t really care who they get it from.”

“Some are like that, I think, because they just take what they can get. I like to be choosy, even if it means I don’t get anything.”

“So you were being choosy when I offered you sex and you jumped to agree to it?”

“I had a good feeling about it.” He kissed her forehead. “I think you need to sleep, Elphaba.”

She closed her eyes. “I do. Thank you, Fiyero. For everything.”

He awoke when it wasn’t yet light out, and for a moment he had forgotten she was there, until he felt exactly what had woken him… her tongue was running up and down his cock in the darkness. Sweet Oz, she really couldn’t get more perfect. “Elphaba,” he murmured.

Her hands circled his cock and she moved up close enough so he could see her. “I woke up and felt… empty. I thought perhaps you could help? I’m already so wet.”

“I’d be glad to.” Just the touch of her had him hard. 

Before he could move, she had moved back and was straddling him. She sank down on him slowly and she was just as wet as she’d promised, taking him in slowly. “Oooh, Fiyero,” she mumbled, guiding him further in. 

He thrust upwards and placed his hands on each of her hips. “Mmm, Elphaba, I really didn’t think you’d be ready so fast.”

“Honestly, I don’t know if I am,” she told him, slowly drawing herself up and down on him. “But I want it so badly. I can’t help it.”

“Then take it. Ride my cock.” He began to move with her, holding her tight as he pushed up into her. 

She kept moving faster, and she was panting, climbing quickly. He watched her eyes as she leaned forward and put her hands on the bed to brace herself as she cried out, spasming around him and pulling his orgasm into hers. They both moaned together before she collapsed onto him, curled into his body. “Shit,” she muttered. 

“What?”

“I’m just thinking about how hard it’s going to be to walk back in the morning.” 

“It doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning. Stay as long as you need.”

“I need to go back early. I can only give Glinda so many excuses and lies before she suspects I’m acting out or whatever. I’m sure she’d never guess I’m doing  _ this _ , but she’d think I’m up to something, and I don’t need those questions.”

“What would she say if she knew?”

“I honestly don’t know. I think she’d be horrified. She knows I’m unladylike, but this would be beyond that. I’d get a lecture for sure. I’d also get bombarded with questions about it. And I don’t want to answer any of them. This is just between us.”

“Oh? You don’t want her knowing that I make you come so hard you scream?” 

“No. I don’t. I tell her many things, and I wanted this experience, but it doesn’t feel like the kind of experience I’d be comfortable sharing. Would you… talk about this? We agreed it was private, but I mean, without names?”

“Probably not. At least not to anyone I know here. You know I’d never expose you. It’d be exposing me, too.”

“It’s not the same as it is for a woman, Fiyero.”

“I realize that. I think it’s stupid, but I realize it. I understand the risk you’re taking. No one has to know.”

“Good. Now let me rest.” Her eyes fluttered shut, and they both fell back to sleep without anymore said.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba gets a letter from her great-grandfather.

They fucked one more time before she left in the morning, and she winced as she walked back to her dorm. Fiyero had tried to convince her to stay longer and relax, and he’d even offered her a massage, but she really did have to get back. Glinda wouldn’t worry too much that she’d been out all night, but she would have questions for her, and it would only get worse the longer she stayed. The ache between her legs pulsed, reminding her of Fiyero. How could she be so lusty and yet so sore?

Fiyero had suggested she come back again on Friday, give herself time to heal but not too much time. Now that she was away from him and the drug that was his body, she could think a little straighter. No more wondering what it would be like. She knew, now, and maybe that would quell her mind from running wild thinking of him.

“Elphie, where have you been this time? And you look awful!” Glinda accosted her with questions the moment she walked through the door.

“I was doing some research observations.”

“All night? You can’t even walk.”

She hoped her cheeks weren’t as dark as they felt. “I may have been observing in basically the same position all night and that was probably a bad idea, but I didn’t want to spook the Squirrels I found.”

“You’re insane.”

“And I need some sleep. So if you’re going to continue to try to hold a conversation with me, I’ll go somewhere else.” Elphaba sighed.

“No, no. I don’t even know where you would go! I was just going to visit with Pfanee and Shen-Shen.”

 _Well, thank Oz they’re not coming here!_ “I’ll talk to you later.” Elphaba collapsed in her bed, fully dressed. She kicked her shoes off, turned over and fell into a heavy sleep.

Glinda was still gone when she woke up. Elphaba stretched her legs, finding she was still sore, but the pain was dulling. She walked into their bathroom and undressed, looking at herself critically. All the “change” that was supposed to happen to a woman once she had “womanly knowledge” did not appear on her body. Nothing had changed. She was still Elphaba, and nothing would make her a different person. Why did women think this experience was so defining? Yes, she had new knowledge now. And yes, she understood her body a little more. But it hadn’t changed her essence.

She tried to look for what Fiyero saw when he looked at her - what made her so desirable to him, physically. But she couldn’t find that, either. Still, she didn’t feel quite so uncomfortable in her own skin. As recent as several months ago, she’d avoided looking at herself naked. Now, her nudity did not intimidate her or scare her. It was comfortable. In fact, she’d enjoyed sleeping that way, too. She couldn’t ever do that here in her dorm, though. 

The door in the other room shut and she jumped. Glinda was back. She threw her clothes back on and came out of the bathroom. “How was your nap?” The blonde asked.

“It was fine.” She shrugged. “I just woke up. I haven’t even checked the time.”

“You’ve been asleep for a few hours, then. It’s past noon. You’ll have trouble sleeping tonight.”

She doubted it. Elphaba still felt drained. And she’d felt calmer and more peaceful at Fiyero’s than she did here with Glinda staring her down. “I’ll be fine.”

“Oh! I forget. A letter came for you.”

Elphaba grabbed for it. It was from her great-grandfather. She tore it open eagerly and sat down on her bed, reading it.

“Is that important?” Glinda asked.

“You know, it’s hard to figure that out when you’re interrupting me while I’m trying to read it,” she snapped.

“Sorry,” Glinda whined.

Her great-grandfather wanted to _meet_ Fiyero. And he wanted her to make introductions, over the winter holidays if possible! She took a deep breath. Nothing was happening between her and Fiyero, not as far as her great-grandfather or anyone knew. And even between them, it wasn't really anything significant, just sex. It was not at all a big deal that he had to meet her great-grandfather. This would help him.

She knocked on his door after her afternoon class on Monday. He raised his eyebrows when he saw her. “There is no way you are ready to jump back into bed with me right now.”

“You would be right,” she replied. “It’s about the trade agreement. Really.”

He waved her in. “Oh? Let’s talk.”

She sat down on his small couch. “I got a letter from my great-grandfather on Saturday.” 

“I’m surprised you weren’t here on Sunday,” he kidded.

She laughed. “I’d tell you that you don’t know me as well as you think outside of the bedroom, but apparently you do.”

“What did the letter say?”

“He wants to meet you to discuss what you’re looking for and see what kind of benefits an agreement would have for greater Munchkinland. He proposed that you come out during the winter holidays, and that I would come, as well, to make introductions and learn a little about being Eminent Thropp in the process.”

“I think that could be arranged.” He paused for a moment. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. A little tender, but I’m fine, Fiyero. You really are sweet, aren’t you?” Elphaba smiled. “We’ll need to get train tickets - it’s a two-day trip, so you’ll need a compartment and so will I, so we’ll have to coordinate.”

“Oh? I don’t see why we need separate compartments.” A grin teased at the corners of his lips. “Who is going to know, after all?”

“I thought we had rules against spending the night.”

“At my place. Not on a train. It’ll save money. And I think we agreed it was fine to spend the night if we spend much of the night doing things other than sleeping.” Fiyero’s eyes were lit with desire again.

“We’re talking more than two months from now, Fiyero!”

“Are you saying you’ll be bored? I can up the ante…”

“You are awful!” But she was biting back a laugh. “How do I know I’ll want to?”

“From Friday night, it sure seemed like it.”

She shuddered at the lust in his voice, how hungry he sounded. “I’m kidding. That sounds fine. Of course, while we’re visiting my great-grandfather you and I will be nothing but proper. We’ll be in different rooms, obviously, and nothing will change that. Understood?”

“I’m just having fun with you, Elphaba. Of course I understand how to behave. And if you’re truly uneasy about it, two compartments is acceptable. You get me a little fired up sometimes. I think you noticed that.”

“I did. I won’t lie. You do the same to me. We can talk about arrangements another time, though. I should leave. I do need a break and I’m afraid if we both keep talking like this, we’ll end up making me sore all over again.” She got up and headed for the door. “And we should save that energy for this Friday.”

“I’ll see you then.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba and Fiyero spend another night together.

He wrote to his father after Elphaba left, letting him know he was making progress on finding someone else to trade with and letting him know of his future trip to Munchkinland.

_Dear Father,_

_I’ve done some asking around and I have been in close conversations with the Thropp Third Descending of Munchkinland, next in line to be Eminent Thropp, the most powerful eminence in Munchkinland. She has been very receptive to our discussions and I am to visit the Eminent Thropp, her great-grandfather, over the winter holidays. I will write you to keep you updated after that._

_School is going well. My grades have not changed from last semester and I continue to make new friends and learn new things about my peers. I miss you and Mother very much, and look forward to seeing you when I finally come home this summer. I miss the weather in the Vinkus, as well. It’s so temperamental here at Shiz. I prefer the plain, dry, hot days we have at home._

_Love,_

_Fiyero_

After addressing that and putting it in his outgoing mail, he ate dinner alone and went to bed, which was a fairly common night for him. His sheets were clean, yet he could still smell Elphaba on them. It kept him up longer than he'd meant to be awake, but he eventually fell asleep.

That week, he did manage to at least hide how distracted she made him. Knowing he’d see her again on Friday gave him something to look forward to, but having had a memory of what it was like kept his imagination from going too far… most of the time. This time when she showed up, he bent her over his bed and fucked her until she’d gotten off at least five times.

“Holy fuck, Fiyero, I didn’t think you could go deeper and you did,” she groaned, pulling herself all the way onto the bed.

“How are you feeling?”

“You ask me that, now?”

“I mean, maybe I was a little overzealous for you know, it being your second… wait third, no fourth… time.” He climbed into the bed beside her.

She laughed. “I think I like overzealous, then.” Elphaba turned to face him, wiping sweat from her forehead. “I’m feeling fine, by the way. A little sore now, but not like last time. And even if it was, that was worth it.”

“I try.”

“Oh, stop that. You don’t even have to try, Fiyero. It’s like… damn.” She closed her eyes, a sweet, delicious smile on her face.

“What did you end up telling Glinda, by the way?”

“Well, first of all, she knows something is wrong because I was not walking quite right for _days_. You really tore me apart. But I came up with a lie about doing research all night and being in a weird position or something that I think she bought. She did comment at one point, though, that it was odd how long it took me to recover from being so stiff.” She put one hand on his chest and traced the diamonds again, as though it was a habit she couldn’t kick. And he didn’t want her to stop.

“What will you tell her this time?”

“I already dealt with it, actually. I told her I was going to chaperone Nessa at some overnight young people thing they’re doing at the local Unionist church. I hope you don’t mind if I stay until morning. I promise to be available to do whatever you like. If you want me out, though, I can find somewhere to read until it’s safe to get back.”

“I’m not going to turn down a night of fucking you. But what if Glinda asks Nessa?”

Elphaba snorted. “She won’t. Every time religion or church comes up, she begs Glinda to join her. Glinda has stopped asking her about anything Unionist-related.”

Fiyero caught her hand in his on his chest for a moment, laughing. “The irony of this whole thing is killing me. You’re saying you’re at a religious gathering and really you’re committing one sinful act after another with a pagan?”

“That wasn’t how I put it, but I like it!” Elphaba leaned over and kissed him heavily. “I suppose no one wonders where you are, since you have no roommate?”

“No. Although with the delectable noises you make, I do worry we’ll be heard. But everyone really keeps to themselves in this building, so unless it bothers someone, I don’t think anyone will care.” He pulled her close to him, but she tugged away. “What?”

“I need to clean up again.”

“At least I get to watch,” he replied, grinning.

“You like what you see?” Elphaba’s voice was teasing, but there was an undercurrent of anxiety. He could tell. She didn’t think he truly did like her body, and he hated that she felt that way. Her body was perfection, as far as he knew.

“I could watch you forever,” he insisted. He knew calling her beautiful would perhaps cross a line, but he wanted her to understand that she was attractive, and her skin did not automatically make her ugly. He enjoyed it. It made her different, but not bad.

She smiled a little as she grabbed her oils. “You could help instead of watch?”

“Now you’re talking!” 

After helping her clean up, they both lounged in his bed, Elphaba curled against him. “At some point, I think Glinda is going to figure out I’m gone at the same time every week and she’ll want to know why. I still haven’t thought up a good excuse for that, though. Every excuse I think of only deals with one night at a time.”

“Tell her the truth. You’re with me. And we’re working on a trade agreement. And studying.”

“Overnight and into the next morning sometimes?”

“Okay, so maybe that doesn’t work so well.”

“Not unless I come back at a normal hour.”

“I don’t want you to,” he admitted. 

“I don’t want to, either, Fiyero. You exhaust me and I’d rather just be here, relaxing between all the fun. And I definitely would prefer to have sex a few times rather than just once and be done for the week.”

“Then we’ll figure it out. Speaking of exhausted, I am tired. Nap?”

“You read my mind.”

They didn’t wake up until the next morning, though. He woke up first, and Elphaba was still peacefully asleep in his arms. For a moment, he looked at her, admiring her again as he had the prior evening. He knew he was a little entranced with her, more than he had wanted to be. But it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

After a few minutes, she stirred and blinked sleepily. She looked around and then turned to him. “I… I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“We agreed I’m not to stay the night unless we spend most of the night fucking, Fiyero,” she reminded him.

“You know what? I don’t care. And I know just how to rectify that.” Fiyero raised his eyebrows. “Right this moment.”

Elphaba gave him a sly smile. “That’s a good plan.”

Later, when he’d look back, he’d realize this was when it happened. And it would not be the only rule they would break.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba lies to Glinda. Fiyero and Elphaba break another rule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, friends! I have not only an idea of where this story is going but HOW they get there. I'm crazy busy, but this story is NOT dead and I have definitely not forgotten about it. I promise! Enjoy!

After about a month of visiting Fiyero every Friday night (and spending the night every time), Glinda caught onto her behavior. When she came back Saturday a little after noon, Glinda was waiting for her. “Elphie, I’ve noticed a pattern in your behavior lately.”

Elphaba sighed. She’d known this was coming, and had finally figured out an answer that was believable and wouldn’t be questioned too much. “Oh?”

“You’re gone overnight. You leave every Friday at the same time and then you don’t come back until some time Saturday, and you always seem tired. Where are you spending the night?” Glinda folded her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrows at Elphaba.

“A homeless shelter.”

“You’re… wait, you’re not homeless, though. Why would you…?”

“I’m volunteering, Glinda! People volunteer all the time, but few people do the overnight shift and I wanted to help. Most of those homeless are minorities in Oz, and that’s heartbreaking. You know I’ve wanted to help. I want to do something bigger, but at the moment this is what I can do.”

Glinda thought for a moment, analyzing her answer. “Why did you lie about that?”

“I was afraid you’d tell me it wasn’t safe.” Elphaba shrugged. “I didn’t want you to lecture me about it.”

“I mean, you’re right, I suppose. It’s not safe at all! And you’re a young woman, which makes you vulnerable whether you want to believe you are or not.”

Elphaba tried not to laugh. It was odd that Glinda was concerned about her safety when Elphaba had never felt more safe than she did when she was with Fiyero, even more safe than she felt in her own dorm or had felt at home. “I’m never the only person there that’s helping, Glinda. It’s fine.”

Glinda sighed heavily. “If you say so.”

“What did you think I was doing, anyway?”

“I had no idea. That’s why I asked. I knew it wasn’t a boy. I knew it wasn’t church. I didn’t think it would be research, because where would you be researching all night regularly like that? So I couldn’t figure it out.”

“That makes sense.”

“But promise me that you’re being safe?”

“Of course, Glinda. I’m not stupid.”

“Well, good.” Glinda shook her head. “You could’ve just told me, though. We’d have had the same argument either way.”

“I know, I know.”

“You lied to me, Elphie.”

“I did. I’m sorry.” But she wasn’t. And she was still lying.

Fiyero found the repetition of her conversation with Glinda to be somewhat funny. “Wait, she actually said she knew it couldn’t be a boy?”

Elphaba smirked. “She did.”

“Oooh, if only she knew.” Fiyero kissed her neck. “She’d be scandalized, wouldn’t she?”

Elphaba whimpered - he knew exactly what worked to make her weak. “Mmm, she would.” She pulled him toward her in the bed, wanting him. Actually, she  _ needed _ him. “Fiyero,” she said softly.

“Gods, I love how you say my name when you’re turned on.” He pressed his lips to hers, softly at first. His hands were at her waist, his calloused but smooth hands holding her close and she could feel him pressed against her. “Say it again.”

“Fiyero,” she murmured as he cupped her cheek. “Please.”

His lips trailed softly down around her breasts. “I am taking my time, sweet Elphaba.”

“I’m begging you,” she replied, trying to shift their bodies so he could enter her.

“As much as I love to hear you beg, I’m sticking to it this time.” A whisper of a kiss along the side of her breast made her twitch with longing. “Trust me, I’m going to fuck you. I promise. But first…” His lips surrounded first one nipple and then the other. 

She buried her hands in his hair. The flesh between her legs throbbed, aching for his touch. Her hips arched toward him slightly, completely out of her control. “I suppose I’m impatient tonight.”

“Why?” He paused, looking at her. “We’ve already…”

“I know. But I want more. I always do. I start thinking about it Sunday evening and I get so eager,” she admitted. 

“What do you think about?” Fiyero’s fingers brushed her inner thighs, but he was looking at her intently. “Do you think about me when you’re lying in bed at night?”

“I try not to,” she told him. She gasped as she felt his fingers trailing up, skipping her parted legs and tracing circles on her abdomen. “I’m never alone, Fiyero, and if I get carried away thinking about this, it could get embarrassing. Glinda could never know.”

“But you do think about it in bed, don’t you?” His fingers moved back down, slowly parting her legs more and moving up.

“I can’t help myself.” When he finally touched her, her head fell back and she closed her eyes.

“What goes through your head?” His finger slipped inside her, curling slightly as he moved it back and forth.

“I…” She was forgetting everything but him. “You. The way you touch me.”

“I want more detail,” he whispered. He thrust a second finger inside her. 

“I pretend you’re touching me, that your hands are on me, inside me. And then I think about your mouth on me, and your cock inside me. And I want to touch myself so badly, but I can’t. I even consider sneaking out and going to see you.”

“I don’t think I could refuse you, if you did that, you know.” Fiyero climbed over her. “I can’t resist you now.”

“Then don’t try to resist me. You don’t have to,” she pleaded.

He pulled his hand back and slid inside her with a heavy sigh. “Even if I had to, I couldn’t, Elphaba. You have no idea what you do to me, what goes through me every time I look at you.” He began moving, panting. 

“It must be mutual,” she moaned. He felt so perfect inside her. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he moved and she moved against him with increasing need. Her body was already kindled and ready, and she cried out as it burst into flame. 

Fiyero kept going, his eyes locked on hers. “...Fae…”

She barely heard him, so focused on his body and her own, on meeting his thrusts with her hips, on letting him deep inside her, stroking the flames.

This time when she came, he joined her and they both cried out, each clutching the other as they came down. As he caught his breath, he nuzzled his nose against hers. “Did that help your need?”

“For the moment,” she grinned. “What did you call me, though?”

“I didn’t…”

“You did. It sounded like Fae? Are you breaking the nickname rule?”

“It came out. I didn’t mean anything by it,” he promised. “Your name, it breaks up like a chant when I’m fucking you, and that part just…”

“I think I like it,” she decided.

“Really?”

“I’ve hated every nickname I’ve ever been given, they’re all ridiculous or peppy. But Fae is simple.”

“Well, then. Is it okay if I continue to use it?”

“I could live with that.”

“Since we’re breaking up our names into pieces, how about you call me Yero, if you want? Because I just love the way that ‘y’ sounds on your tongue.”

“Yero?” She repeated.

“Mmm, just like that.”

“I like how it sounds, too,” she agreed.

And just like that, another rule was broken.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba grow closer and Elphaba divulges some of her deeper fears.

That Tuesday, Elphaba knocked on his door after dinner. The moment he saw her face, he knew what she was there for, so he brought her to the bed before a word could be spoken. The rest was all sighs, moans and breathless cries.

“I told you I couldn’t resist you if you came over unexpectedly,” he told her afterward.

“Good, because I was thinking we could work this into a regular thing?” She was already cleaning up. “Just once or twice and I go back before bed.”

“That can be arranged.”

“But we need to talk about something else.”

“Oh?”

“The broken rules.”

“What do you mean?” He sat up, watching as she finished rubbing herself down.

“Staying the night. Nicknames. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind them at all. But is it asking for trouble, Fiyero?”

“As long as we’re still on the same page that this is just a physical thing, I don’t see what harm there is in it. I mean, you staying the night on Fridays is a convenience thing, really, and gives more opportunity for sex. And the nickname? Elphaba, your name, as nice as it is, is a bit of a mouthful and when we’re in the heat of the moment, ‘Fae,’ is a lot easier to say.”

She laughed at that, climbing back into bed with him. “You have a point. I’ve never really loved my name as it was. And I  _ hated _ ‘Fabala,’ it just sounded so… old. But Nessie loves it and I could never stop her. Of course, ‘Elphie,’ was just as bad.”

“When I was younger, my mother called me ‘Fi-ye,” Fiyero told her. “It got old pretty quickly, though.”

Elphaba wrinkled her nose. “I can imagine.”

“The fall holidays are at the end of next month. What do you want to do about your inability to be away from me for a week?” He teased.

She smacked him. “It’s not an inability to be away from you. I could handle it if I had to. But since you’re here and you’re willing and I wanted it, I came over.”

“I wasn’t complaining!” Fiyero laughed. He could never complain when she was around, naked and ready for him.

“You’d better not be!” Elphaba grinned at him. 

“You’re addicted to me, aren’t you?” He kept teasing.

“No! I’m… well, maybe I’m a little addicted to sex… with you. But it’s also the fact that it’s a temporary thing that I want to enjoy since it’s not a regular thing.” Elphaba’s face was flushed. “I’m not… I’m not obsessed with sex or anything, I mean.”

He realized she was almost embarrassed with the conversation, and he didn’t understand why. “I wouldn’t judge you if you were, you know.”

“Everyone else would.”

He knew what she meant, then. “Your father, you mean?”

She hung her head. “Maybe a little, yeah.”

“You keep saying you don’t care what he thinks, but then…”

“I know.”

He pulled her into his arms. “You know, it doesn’t matter. And I don’t give a fuck what anyone would think. We’re having fun. You do what you want. We aren’t hurting anyone, are we?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what’s wrong with having a little fun?”

She smiled a little. “Thank you. You’re right.”

He didn’t understand how she could go from begging him in the doorway to this, though he knew how she was raised had affected her more than she wanted it to. Fiyero also recognized that sometimes, what was supposed to be only physical became comfort - for both of them. It was the nature of their friendship, and their shared secret, that they would have moments like these. Physical intimacy allowed for emotional intimacy in its way. Fiyero ran his hands over her shoulders. “Your dad sounds like an asshole, though.”

She snorted. “Oh, he is. So, anyway, I’m here during the fall holidays. If you are, too, I’m perfectly happy to come over whenever.”

“I know you are,” he laughed. “And please do. I don’t go home until I graduate. I think you knew that.”

“I suspected as much, yes.” She rested her head against his chest. “Mmm, so same schedule? It’s a month away.”

“At least the same schedule. Or more often. I mean, if Glinda isn’t around, you can do whatever you want without question.”

“That’s true.” There was a smile in her voice. “Play it by ear, then?”

“We can do that. You just show up when you want. I’ll be here.”

“Perfect.” She ran her hands over his chest, her fingers drawing slow circles. “Is it weird that being here makes me feel peaceful?”

“I feel peaceful when you’re here, too, although I think you feel it more than I. Because here you can just do what you want and not worry about what’s expected of you for five minutes.”

“Exactly.” Elphaba nudged him a little wiggled out of his arms. She looked at him playfully. “Five minutes is up, though, and if I want to get back before bed, maybe we should have a little more fun?” She began trailing kisses down his chest.

He didn’t argue.

It was strange now, seeing her in classes, because he was right - she wasn’t the same. In class and in public she was more tense, her shoulders more hunched and her gaze colder. While she wasn’t as prim and proper as most girls were, she still had much of that attitude. When he caught her eye, sometimes she’d stare him down and other times she’d turn away. Fiyero had considered the fun aspect, and the fact that they wouldn’t tell anyone, but it was starting to feel more and more like a deep, guilty secret. He understood why it had to be that way, and it wasn’t as though they were in any sort of emotional entanglement, but it would be much easier, he thought, if people could just do what they want and not be subjected to the judgement of a prude society.

He tried not to pay much attention to her outside of his room. It felt odd, anyway, and he cared nothing about how she acted when she wasn’t around him. Why should he? The only other thing that mattered about her was the trade agreement, and that was somewhat stalled until he met her great-grandfather. He almost wished that trip could’ve been arranged for the fall holidays, so they could get things moving, but he reminded himself he was lucky enough to be getting anywhere at all. And the current trade agreement had time left on it, anyway, so it wasn’t urgent. But it was the first major assignment his father had given him, his first real act as a prince and king-to-be, so it mattered deeply to him. He could not let his people down.

There were expectations to be met. Finish Shiz and come back, educated and dignified. Keep the Arjiki tribe strong and healthy. Marry Sarima. He’d had expectations on him his entire life, and he hadn’t failed to meet one yet. He had no intention of changing that.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glinda tries to extract more information from Elphaba, who considers her feelings for Fiyero.

Elphaba was certainly having fun. And with time, the guilt did fade - when she didn’t think about it. Fiyero was good at distracting her, after all. Rationally, she knew there was nothing wrong with what they were doing. But somehow her father really had gotten into her head. She wouldn’t let him ruin her fun. She never had before.

She found herself often not just longing for the pleasure, but also the comfort of being there with him. His apartment had become something of a calming place for her. She started letting herself stay a little later in the morning after she spent the night. 

“Fabala, you look refreshed,” Nessa commented at lunch on a Saturday two weeks later. “You never used to seem so… bright.”

Glinda had joined them. “Well, she’s been working with the homeless all night, so it is odd how bright and shiny you think she is. At first, she didn’t seem like that when she came back.”

Elphaba swallowed hard.

Nanny raised her eyebrows. “You’ve been doing what all night?”

“I’ve been volunteering at a homeless shelter overnight on Friday to Saturday. That’s when they really need people to help, especially with children who have trouble sleeping, or simply keeping an eye out.” Why did the lie feel so obvious? She’d repeated it multiple times now. She was used to it.

“That sounds a little dangerous.”

“I’m an adult and I can make that decision,” Elphaba replied shortly. 

“I think it’s quite charitable, Elphaba. Is this shelter located near a church? Or within one?” Nessa smiled at her.

“No. It’s not affiliated with religion. Nessa, you know I don’t subscribe to that.”

Nessa sighed, but pressed on. “Well, it is something the Unnamed God would approve of, whether you are doing it in His name or not.”

Elphaba tried not to roll her eyes and instead forced a smile at her sister. “If you say so.”

Glinda folded her arms across the chest. “It is very kind of you, Elphie, but I miss you. You don’t talk to me much anymore.”

Glinda was right about that, and she did miss that, too. But there were so many times when she wanted to tell her something and now couldn’t. Glinda could never know what was happening behind closed doors with Fiyero. She’d think it meant something. And she’d be horrified at Elphaba for behaving so “loosely,” and acting so flippant about sex. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t talk to Glinda about anything else. She made a note to herself to try and talk to her friend more.

“You’re staying for the fall holidays, right? Are you staying for the winter holidays?” Glinda asked her the next day. “If you’d like, you can join me at the family home.”

“Ah, I’m actually busy during the winter holidays.”

“Oh?”

Choosing her words carefully, she said, “Well, I’ve been talking quite a bit with Master Fiyero about establishing a trade agreement between the Arjiki tribe and much of Munchkinland. You know my great-grandfather is the Eminent Thropp. I’ve promised to make introductions, so both Fiyero and I will be traveling to my great-grandfather’s estate.”

“You didn’t tell me any of that! I did notice you talk to Fiyero a bit more now.”

“Yes. We’ve had many conversations on the subject.”

“He’s very kind and well-mannered, isn’t he?”

“Fiyero? Yes.”  _ Well, not always… _

“He’s supposed to be married, though, right?”

“Yes, I believe so. Why? You interested?” Elphaba teased.

“Not for me. For you. I know you’d never date, but you two seem friendly and it might be convenient if you’re trying to set up agreements between your two respective groups, a marriage treaty could help that.”

Elphaba couldn’t help it. She laughed.

“What?”

“There are several things wrong with that idea. Let’s start with the fact that I’m  _ never getting married _ . Then, we can add to that the fact that he already has a wife set up for him by his parents. And can you imagine my family allowing me to marry into his? And he’s my friend, Glinda, not my beau and I have no interest in that changing.” She was barely able to speak through her laughter. And she wondered if Fiyero was supposed to marry a virgin. He’d ruined her for that one - not that she cared.

“I know you never want to get married. But if you did, or if you had to, I thought maybe having someone you actually get along with might be nice. You think Boq is gross and you hate Avaric.”

“That I do. But just because I’m friends with someone doesn’t mean I want to marry him! Boq is your friend, but you certainly never were interested in anything more.”

“I suppose that’s true, but I am going to marry someone eventually.”

“So what you’re trying to do, really, is talk me into marriage by finding the most appealing prospect to me even if it’s impossible?” And Fiyero was certainly appealing, physically. But marriage itself was not.

Glinda shrugged. “I’m sorry I brought it up. I just thought you and Fiyero fit nicely together, in a way.”

Oh, they fit nicely together in a way, a very, very intense way. But she didn’t think that’s what Glinda meant. She pushed that image from her mind. “I’m sure multiple people fit nicely. It doesn’t mean they get married!”

“Fine, fine. You’re right. I really think maybe you should adjust to the idea of marriage, Elphaba. It’s expected. I know it’s not you. But marriage doesn’t have to be traditional. I’m sure there are men who would let you be you. You can’t just discount the entire idea of marriage. Maybe it’s a matter of finding the right person.”

“And maybe you’re right,” she admitted. A marriage that wasn’t conventional sounded a lot more agreeable than a traditional marriage. But within her family, could she really be allowed to marry a non-conventional non-Unionist man? And where would she even find them. “But you chose the wrong example.”

“You got a little defensive about Fiyero, though,” Glinda pointed out.

“I did,” she acknowledged. “It just seemed so absurd to me.”

“I thought maybe it was because you did like him, but you knew you shouldn’t.”

“Trust me, that’s not the case. Can you imagine me with him, Glinda? I don’t even understand what life is like in the Vinkus.”

“I guess that’s fair. But I was doing exactly what you said, I guess, using the closest choice that you might find acceptable.”

She had been fighting it, but for a moment it slipped through. She pictured what it would be like being married to Fiyero. The obvious aspect would be regular sex, which she certainly would enjoy. But her brain betrayed her and went further, picturing children, picturing laughter and love. Elphaba pulled herself back as much as she could. She reminded herself that for all she knew, women were second-class citizens in the Vinkus. It could be that all she’d be expected to do was cook, clean and be available for sex. And no sex was worth that kind of life. That’s what she hated about the idea of traditional marriage. But the idea was there, and she couldn’t push the images away.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba is curious about Fiyero's life and culture. Fiyero and Elphaba continue to enjoy one another.

“Tell me about life in the Vinkus,” Elphaba asked him late one night during the fall holidays. She was lying beside him, a hand on his chest. As usual, she was tracing his tattoos with her fingers.

Fiyero was a little surprised at the question. “Where’d that come from?”

“Curiosity. I’m curious about your people. If we’re going to set up a trade agreement, wouldn’t it be best to know a bit more about them? About your life?” Elphaba wasn’t making eye contact, though, and he wondered if that was deliberate.

“That makes sense. What do you want to know?”

“Everything. Tell me more about your life, family life, how people exist together and what they do.” Her voice was barely a murmur in the darkness of his bedroom.

“Well, we are a village and we act like one. Everyone is close, and we help each other. It’s a little different for me, of course, because I’m a prince. People were more hesitant toward me, deferred to me and were hesitant around me. I didn’t like that, but I understand why.” Fiyero shrugged a little. “We are a little more physical in the way we do things. We learn to fight and hunt. There is a school, but it’s optional and many parents chose to keep their kids at home working the land or hunting with them.”

“Are both women and men hunting and being physical? Are both girls and boys allowed at the school?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t they be?”

“Fiyero, you know Shiz is the only college that allows women, right?”

“Wait, what?”

He saw the shadow of a smile at his response. “And only recently. Didn’t it seem odd the boys have their own, more advanced library? And that girls needed chaperones? And that our classes were separate at the beginning?”

“A little. But I didn’t know enough about what it was like outside of the Vinkus to question anything. And girls never went to college in the Vinkus, so it never would’ve come up. No one went to college. Even my father. I’m the first.”

“So you consider women equal in the Vinkus?”

“Not quite. But I’d say it’s better than it is out here.”

“How do men treat their wives?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do they expect them to just cook and clean and have kids?”

“First of all, in the palace we have a cook. But I’m guessing cooking depends on who likes to do it. Same with cleaning? I’m not sure. All I’ve really seen is my mother and father. Yes, women are expected to have children. But I don’t think anyone thinks that’s a woman’s sole purpose. You’re very curious. Thinking about making a move?” He teased. 

“Absolutely not. Although I really don’t know where I’ll go until I become Eminent Thropp. I don’t particularly want to return home. Maybe I’ll go to the City. I do think it might be odd if I were in the Vinkus.”

Yes, it would be. Because he had to get married to Sarima. And he had a feeling seeing her anywhere would be very distracting. This wasn’t normal for him - her body was his heaven. He had no problem having to give that up, but it would be made easier by not seeing her constantly. “You’re right. I have to marry upon returning home.”

“Have you ever really talked to her?”

“Sarima? No. We aren’t allowed.”

“Why?”

“Old tradition, I think.”

“Is she expected to be a virgin?”

“Most women are. I mean, sex is looked at similarly in the Vinkus, but with just a little more leeway. It’s not the end of the world if a woman isn’t a virgin, of course. But sex outside of marriage is… discouraged.” He grabbed the hand that she’d have on his chest and played with her fingers, kissing each of them.

“Then how did you get so much experience?”

“Curiosity,” he answered. “And no one really cared what I did in regards to that.”

“Because you’re a man?”

“I don’t know.” He pulled her against him and took one of her fingers into his mouth. “Does it matter right now?”

“You trying to tell me something?” Her eyebrows raised. “I can arrange that.”

Her sweet, tight, gorgeous form was delectable. He wanted her. Constantly. He ached for her. Thinking about it gave him energy he hadn’t thought he had. He rolled over her and then rolled them to the edge of the bed. He pulled her off the bed. “I can handle it.”

Her eyebrows raised. “I can tell.” Her gaze ran over his cock hungrily. He loved watching her look at him. She always had this sort of surprised look, like she’d never expected to be able to have this. 

Fiyero pushed her against the wall, hiking her legs up at his sides. “I hope you’re already wet. I am going to take you raw.”

“I don’t think I could be in your presence and not be wet,” Elphaba wrapped her arms around his neck, meeting his eyes. “Give it to me.”

Fiyero shoved himself deep inside her, listening to her gasp turn into a moan. “Damn, I love your pussy.” He thrust against her, ramming himself into her deliciously smooth pussy, feeling her walls tighten and loosen as she adjusted to him.

“And I adore your cock.” Her words were slurred together. She hooked her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. As he slammed her into the wall, she cried out. “Yes, it’s so good when you’re rough with me.”

He pulled her legs open more, and he began pressing a finger against her clit as he moved, feeling her sweet, wet flesh twitch beneath his caress. He was pounding her into the wall as he fucked her, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she woke up with bruises all over her ass tomorrow. He moved faster, thinking that next time, his handprint would be bruised into her skin. Would her insides be bruised in the shape of his cock?

Elphaba’s moans were growing in rate and volume as he continued driving into her. Her thighs trembled and she was panting. “Fuck me, please, fuck me, Yero.”

“Fae,” he groaned. “Come for me. Come all over my cock.” He pinched her clit lightly and he felt her come undone, pulsing around his cock as she screamed his name. Her legs tightened behind him, her whole body convulsing.

“Come inside me, Yero,” she whimpered as she trembled around him. “Please.”

He buried his face in her neck, biting her shoulder as he did, grunting his climax as he flooded her body. “Holy fuck, Fae.”

“Uh huh.” After a moment, she wiggled a bit. “Help me stand?”

He kept one hand on her bottom and gave her his other hand, shifting so she could put one leg on the ground and then the other. He squeezed her ass playfully. “I’ll get you a washcloth with some oil.”

“Please,” she murmured.

He grabbed one of the washcloths he kept by the bed and poured a bit of the oil he had bought to keep in the bedside table onto it. When he looked over at her, she was massaging her hips and legs. “You okay?”

“Yeah. More than okay.” She took the washcloth and began cleaning down her legs a little. That position… you felt incredible, but I’m pretty sure the wall got a lot of me.” She laughed. “I’m just a bit stiff.”

“You want to clean up and I’ll give you a thorough rubdown to help sooth your muscles a bit?” He held the oil in his hands. 

“From one physical pleasure to another,” she commented. “Yes. That sounds good.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Fiyero and Elphaba grow closer, Elphaba prepares to take an important trip.

He had broken the skin on her shoulder, she discovered the next morning. “Remind me not to change in front of Glinda until that heals. I’m pretty sure she’d figure out what a bite mark means.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You know I’ve scratched down your back any number of times.” She stretched out in his bed, wincing a little. All that being pushed into the wall had taken a little toll, despite Fiyero’s attempts to ease her pain. They’d also fucked twice more, though more gently. “Your wife is damn lucky.” She didn’t realize what she was saying, and flushed.

“Assuming she lets herself enjoy it,” Fiyero replied. “Some women just don’t. Some men really don’t like it, either. Besides, I feel a little weird talking about my wife in bed with you, you know. Even if I’m not married yet.”

She felt odd about it, as well. Though she realized it must be more uncomfortable for him, than for her. While he wasn’t married yet, it may feel to him as though he was betraying his future wife by doing this. “Do you… do you feel like maybe you feel guilty about this?”

“No. I’m more concerned with how much I might miss it. I didn’t think, when we started this, that I’d enjoy it quite this much. I mean, yes, I thought we’ve have some good sex, but it’s been beyond good, Elphaba.”

“I’ve nothing to compare it to,” she reminded him. “But I’m not stupid. I know this is probably better than what it is for most people. It’s amazing, this physicality between the two of us.” She nuzzled against him.

“It is.” He was quiet. “I’m lucky, too. You took to this well. You’re a natural.”

Elphaba laughed. “You made it easy.” She climbed out of bed, glad the topic of his marriage had faded a little. “I should get going. I’m going to be sore everywhere today.”

The corners of his lips quirked up. “Good.”

“One of these days I’m going to return the favor and slam you into something,” she threatened as she dressed.

“I look forward to it.” He sat up, his tousled hair always looking perfect in a way that defied gravity.

“So do I.”

The school year trudged toward the winter holidays. Elphaba had already basically checked out of her classes and done the majority of her work ahead of time, meaning all that was left for most of her classes was to take the final exams. 

“That sorcery final!” Glinda grunted angry. “I swear Morrible did that on purpose.”

“Probably,” Elphaba shrugged, throwing clothes into her suitcase.

“You don’t seem that upset about it.”

“She won’t fail us. I doubt it’ll affect our grade much. She hates me, but she never messes with my grades. I think she knows she’ll have me poisoned against her for good if she does, and she still hopes I’ll do her bidding. Too bad I never will.” Elphaba just wanted to get to the train station on time, and be alone with Fiyero. The sorcery final had stressed her out, and she needed to work out her tension.

“You’re too calm.”

“I’m just in a hurry, that’s all.”

Glinda studied her for a moment. “Looking forward to the trip? With Fiyero?”

“Oh, please, don’t. I’m looking forward to getting it over with. Family can be ridiculously dull, especially for me. And my great-grandfather is ancient, so I’m sure he’ll be extra dull.”

“Try to have fun. This is family, and not family you see every day. I know you have issues with your father, but this is your mother’s family, right?”

“And you think I don’t have issues with my mother? Just because she’s dead doesn’t mean there weren’t issues.”

“Perhaps, but your great-grandfather probably didn’t have much to do with your mother, did he?”

“Well, no.”

“And you’ve met him before. Why do you act like you have problems with him?”

“I feel like most of my family has been forced on me, Glinda. Some people have loving families and they’re lucky. But much of mine is flawed. Family is a complicated word for me.” Elphaba closed up her suitcase and headed for the door. “But you enjoy yours. Have a good time.”

“Only if you try to have a good time, too!” Glinda called as she left.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but the door was already shut. “At least I’ll have fun on the way there,” she muttered to herself. Fiyero had gotten a carriage to take them both to the train station as it was across town, despite Elphaba’s insistence that they could walk. The driver stood on the drive outside Crage when she exited. He opened the door and Elphaba stepped inside, where Fiyero sat.

“I would’ve been nice and waited outside for you, but I have a feeling people might think it’s odd we’re taking a carriage together.” Fiyero smiled at her. “Even if we do have a perfectly good explanation.”

“Good thinking,” Elphaba agreed, sitting across from him. “Of course, Nessa and Nanny know where I’m going, as does Glinda, but other than that I haven’t exactly broadcast my winter holidays plans.” The carriage jolted as they headed across town. 

“I’m about the same.”

“So… two days alone with you and then we have to be prude for a few weeks?” Fiyero’s voice was low.

“Until we get another two days, yes. We’ve discussed this.”

“I know. And I am on board. This trade agreement matters too much. If we were to get caught in a compromising position by a member of your family, it might sour things. And you, of course, have other concerns.”

“Damn right I do!”

“And I understand those. We won’t have an issue.”

There wasn’t too much talking once they boarded the train - well, outside of a few choice words and phrases. Their compartment was small, but neither of them minded much. They didn’t rest until that evening, when they grabbed dinner in the dining car.

“How were your finals, by the way?” Elphaba asked.

Fiyero chuckled. “Really? We’re going to talk like that?”

“Well, I hardly think it decent we talk about some of the other things we could talk about,” she grumbled quietly.

Fiyero only grinned. “There are maybe three other people here and they aren’t seated near us.”

“You have really started to get on a single track with me, huh?”

“After several hours of that, yes. My brain still isn’t working right,” he admitted.

She didn’t mind it as much as she acted like she did. It was nice to feel wanted and attractive. Even if it was only for a little while. In only a matter of months, he’d be gone back to the Vinkus, and she’d go back to her life like this never happened, with only the salacious memories to keep her awake at night. It made her sad, in a way. But he’d never know that.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba introduces Fiyero to her great-grandfather. Fiyero realizes he doesn't know as much about Elphaba as he thinks he does.

Elphaba’s great-grandfather greeted them sitting in the tea room, with tea and biscuits available. It was after lunch, but quite some time before dinner. Fiyero had skipped lunch (as had Elphaba) and he was famished. He had to remind himself it was impolite to grab food while introductions were made and simply stared at the biscuits longingly.

“Ah, dear Elphaba, we’ve been expecting you.” The old man stood, a crinkled smile across his features. He grabbed Elphaba’s hand and she kissed his cheek politely. 

“Yes, great-grandfather, we are so happy to be here. This is Prince Fiyero Tiggular of the Arjikis, son of Chieftain Lurgin Tiggular.”

The man studied him for a moment. “Yes, yes, Elphaba had written about you.” He stuck out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Prince Fiyero. I hope your trip here was easy and that Elphaba has been a good travel companion.”

Fiyero shook his hand. “A pleasure, your Eminence. Elphaba is a lovely, intelligent young woman.”

“We always knew she was smart.” The man was beaming. “And she has grown into a beautiful young woman, hasn’t she?”

Elphaba’s face was darkening, but Fiyero replied, “She has.”

“Now, I know why you’re here, Prince Fiyero, but I hope you don’t mind if we take our time getting to the subject? You are here for a few weeks, after all.” The man finally sat down, and Fiyero waited for Elphaba to follow.

Fiyero nodded and sat down a proper distance from Elphaba, immediately reaching for a biscuit. “Of course, your Eminence. Whatever you would like.” As he ate, he looked over at Elphaba, who sat stiffly and had not even looked at the food. He knew she must be hungry, but the pressure she likely felt was probably distracting her. “Miss Elphaba, would you like me to pass you a biscuit and a cup of tea?”

“Thank you, Prince Fiyero, yes that would be very kind.” She gave him a grateful look and took the plate and cup he handed her, their fingers brushing slightly as she did. She caught his eye for a moment before looking away.

“Elphaba, dear, tell me about Shiz.” 

Elphaba took a few bites of her biscuit and paused before answering. “Well, it’s been an eye-opening experience.”

“Oh?”

She bit her lip, making Fiyero immediately focus on her mouth. “I’m not sure it’s just the classes, but the experience of everything. I’m starting to understand all of Oz better, though I’m not sure I’m happy about it.”

Her great-grandfather laughed. “Oh, tell me, Fiyero, is our Elphaba something of a rebel at school?”

Fiyero pulled his eyes away from Elphaba’s lips. “Something of a rebel, yes. I think she wants to fight for the downtrodden in our society. I don’t think that’s a weakness at all, though, your Eminence.”

“I hadn’t meant to imply that it was a weakness, Prince Fiyero. However, those feelings need to be directed the right way and done the right way instead of running off half-cocked and angry.”

“Father told you about that?” Elphaba groaned.

“He did.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite know what you two are talking about,” Fiyero commented.

“You don’t remember?” She cocked her head at him. “You wouldn’t, would you? You don’t know exactly what happened. Do you remember the night after Ama Clutch died? When some of you went, um, out on the town and Glinda and I disappeared?”

He remembered that night. Avaric had tried to get all of them to go to the Philosophy Club. Fiyero had tried to convince Elphaba to join them, too. He had wanted to see if she was as prude as she seemed. And he had assumed she was when she hadn’t joined them. The group disbanded, anyway, a few minutes later when Pfannee and Avaric got into a heated argument. “I think I recall.”

“Well, I dragged Glinda to the City. We even met with the Wizard. And I tried to run off, but I was located by a friend of my father’s. Glinda doesn’t talk about it. I don’t really, either.”

“Run off how?” He had almost forgotten her great-grandfather was in the room with them. He and Elphaba had shared all sorts of intimate details, why had he never learned about this?

“I was going to find an underground group and work against the Wizard.”

“And you never told anyone?”

She shook her head.

“I’m sure this isn’t surprising,” the Eminence intervened. “Elphaba can get hot-headed, which I’m sure, being her friend, you are aware of.”

It did make sense. But he didn’t understand how she’d never told him. However, he knew he couldn’t ask her that, not in front of her great-grandfather. “No, it isn’t surprising.”

After dinner, he and Elphaba sat in the living room quietly as her great-grandfather headed to bed. “I forgot how big this place is,” Elphaba commented.

“You also apparently forgot to tell me about your trip to the City.”

“Excuse me? I don’t talk about it. To anyone. What makes you think you deserved to know? I thought we had established boundaries, Fiyero.”

“I just meant that the two of us tell each other things we might not share with anyone else, regardless of our relationship. I just figured it would’ve come up.”

“It didn’t,” she shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Why’d you come back? Why didn’t you try again?” He continued on the subject. He knew her. She wouldn’t have given up that easily.

“Glinda and Nessa, really. They needed me. And over the last year, I’ve been doing research and studying on my own. While joining an underground movement is tempting, I have a privilege, the privilege of being Thropp Third Descending. I need to use it. Maybe when I take the position I could reach out to the underground, or maybe I could do my own thing. But my great-grandfather is actually right. That anger I feel, the outrage? It needs to be directed toward something that might make change in a way that society might actually hold onto. Fiyero, imagine if it was you. Would you head to the City? Or would you stay and fight from your place of power?”

“I would, and possibly will, stay and fight. You are right.”

“Exactly.” Elphaba looked around the room before gently touching his hand. “Fiyero, you have no right to my other secrets. I share more of myself with you than I do with others as it is. And we aren’t anything more than friends. If your feelings on the subject have changed, we have a problem.”

“No, no. They haven’t. I’m sorry. I suppose I was just surprised. My feelings are the same as yours.” He pulled his hand away and nodded at her. “We have nothing to worry about.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba cross a line they'd agreed not to cross.

She needed him to back off - not because she was afraid of how he felt, but she was afraid it was causing her confusion and making her respond to him in ways she didn’t mean to. Elphaba opened up to Fiyero in more ways than she had ever intended, and while most of the time she didn’t mind, she absolutely had to avoid an emotional entanglement. The problem was, the closer she got to him, the harder that was to avoid.

In some ways, the visit with her great-grandfather gave her needed space, though physically she wasn’t enjoying it. But they were almost always watched, and they could not touch, though she ached badly for him. It also gave her some distance from intimacy, though, and maybe she needed it to clear her head.

They walked the grounds of the Eminence’s mansion fairly regularly, and Elphaba enjoyed the cold weather as long as it did not snow. And snow, in a way, was less insidious to her than water. If snow touched her skin, she might be able to brush it away before it melted and burned, if she was fast enough. She wore thick boots during the winter to avoid any snow soaking through her stockings and hurting her. Her cloak was also thick for that reason.

“Lurlinemas Eve is tomorrow,” Fiyero commented. “I don’t really celebrate though.”

“I don’t, either. And my father hates it.”

“He would, wouldn’t he? There is a large part of me that wants to meet your father mainly for entertainment purposes.” 

Elphaba giggled. “I can’t blame you. He’s a bit of a caricature, sometimes. I, for one, am glad he’s not here. And he doesn’t come here much. I don’t believe he got on well with my mother’s family. I hope that when it’s my turn to be Eminence, he continues to not visit.”

“For your sake, I hope so. I expect I, as Chieftain, will be visiting once or twice to discuss trade. It’s a nice place out here.”

She didn’t reply. Fiyero. Here. After he was married. She hadn’t thought about it. Would his wife and eventual children join him? She shuddered. How uncomfortable that could be. She wouldn’t be jealous - no, of course not. But…

“Are you cold?” Fiyero unfastened his cloak and began to wrap it around her.

“No, no,” she pushed him away. “I’m fine.” But the thought was festering, and she didn’t want him to know. “I was just thinking about my father visiting.”

He chuckled. “You really don’t like him.”

“I think I’ve made that clear.” Elphaba wouldn’t look at him. “Let’s go inside.”

That evening as they ate dinner, her great-grandfather told them, “I’m having a late holiday celebration luncheon and dance with many of the mayors and more minor eminences attending the day after tomorrow. Prince Fiyero, would you care to escort Elphaba?”

“I do not need escorting!”

“Yes, but everyone is bringing wives or husbands, so I thought it best you have a date. And since Prince Fiyero is conveniently here with you…”

“I’d gladly escort her,” Fiyero broke in.

She glared at him. “Great-grandfather, I believe I’ve made it clear that Fiyero is simply a dear friend and it might be inappropriate to ask him to escort me.”

“He doesn’t seem to think so.”

She glared at Fiyero again, but he said, “It’s a luncheon, Elphaba. And you are, as you put it, a dear friend. Friends often escort each other to things like this, do they not? Assuming both parties are single?”

Elphaba rolled her eyes and folded her hands across her chest. “I do not have a dress for this occasion.”

“We will find you one,” her great-grandfather assured her. He turned to Fiyero. “Thank you. It would also do wonders to establish publicly that the Vinkus and Munchkinland have only goodwill for each other.”

“Yes, Your Eminence, it would.” Fiyero raised his eyebrows at Elphaba. The discussion was over.

But it wasn’t over for her. After everyone was in bed, she sneaked across the hall into Fiyero’s room. “Fiyero, I do not want to be escorted to some stupid luncheon.”

“Why? I’m sure we’re both going to have to go anyway, and sit near one another. It makes no difference and has no romantic implications whatsoever. On the other hand, you being in my room has certain implications…” Fiyero was sitting in the bed, a copy of the paper on his nightstand. It was almost odd to see him in full pajamas, as she knew that wasn’t how he preferred to sleep.

“You know I didn’t come in here for that!” But she was looking at him now, thinking about how he usually only slept in his shorts and imagining what was under his pajamas with almost perfect detail.

“Oh? Tell me you haven’t thought of it, lying in bed at night while we’re here.” Fiyero stood up and approached her. “Because I have.”

She had. In fact, since she’d had privacy, she’d even touched herself, imagining him. But she wouldn’t tell him that! “I…” She faltered, her cheeks heating. “Thinking of you doesn’t mean I came in here for sex, Fiyero.”

“So you have thought of that, though?”

“Maybe. But I came in here to address the luncheon issue,” she insisted, trying to think straight as he stood only a breath away.

“Look, Elphaba, it’s just a luncheon. We’ll dance. That’s nothing new to you, I’m sure. These sorts of things will be expected of you.”

“Will I always be expected to have a date?”

“I’m sure that’ll be up to you. But right now, I think it’s best we do as your great-grandfather asks.”

She couldn’t deny his logic and sighed, “Fine, you’re right. But you should’ve talked to me before agreeing.”

“I think it might’ve seemed odd had I paused that conversation and pulled you out of the room, Fae.”

At the nickname, she felt her knees weaken. “Whatever. Next time, though?”

“Fine.” He hadn’t touched her. “We both agreed this was a bad idea.”

“This?”

“Sex. Here.” But his eyes betrayed him.

“I never suggested it…” Her voice lost all strength. “But perhaps I wouldn’t be opposed? If you can be careful.”

“And you can be quiet?” Fiyero walked around her and locked the door.

She simply nodded.

He must’ve broken, because he was on her in an instant, kissing her heavily. “Damn, I’ve wanted you. It’s killing me. And you in that nightgown? All I wanted to do was take it off you.”

She lifted her arms over her head so he could do exactly that. “My thoughts  _ may _ have been similar,” she admitted. Elphaba quickly unbuttoned his nightshirt. “Fuck me.”

“My pleasure,” he murmured, lifting her up and depositing her on his bed. He pulled his trousers off and tugged her panties down her legs before joining her. “I think first, I need to make sure you can be a good little girl and be quiet no matter what I do to you.” He parted her legs and ran a finger along her opening. “Just to test you and make sure we don’t get into any trouble.” As his finger slid inside her, she gasped. “Shh, sweet Fae.”

“Yero,” she whispered. As he moved his finger within her, she whimpered helplessly. And she realized it would be harder to keep quiet than she thought. She grabbed a small, decorative pillow and cried out into it as he slid a second finger inside her.

“So wet,” he commented. “I’ll have to clean up very carefully when we’re done.” His voice was so low it was barely audible, and his words traced along her thighs. “I need a taste.”

She squirmed in an effort not to cry out as his tongue teased her clit while his fingers pumped in and out of her. She was holding the pillow and practically screaming by the time her climax came, and her whole body felt tense. Then she had an idea. When he pulled back, she turned over, pressing her head into the bed pillows and lifting her hips to him. She knew he’d be going deep from that angle, but she wanted deep, anyway. And this way she could muffle the noise.

He grinned. “Smart girl,” he whispered against her ear as he pressed his cock against her folds, thrusting inside. The only noise he made after that was panting.

He was immediately so deep that she ached with each thrust and he pounded her. She clutched the pillow tightly as his cock ravaged her pussy, making her swell around him. His name escaped her lips, but was trapped by the pillow. Elphaba pressed back against him, the only real movement she could make from that position, and then screamed as he went deeper. Her pussy must’ve been soaked, she could feel herself dripping, hear the slapping of his flesh against hers as he slammed into her again. Her climax came so hard she was afraid she’d lose her voice screaming into the pillow, and Fiyero let out a low growl as he followed.

He pulled out of her gently after a moment and got up, wiping himself off with a small towel as she turned over and looked at him. “Here,” he said softly, sliding the towel under her for a moment. “So the bedsheets don’t look questionable. I’ll bring this into the shower with me and wash it.”

Elphaba wiggled out of the bed, grabbing the towel and cleaning herself up. “You’re going to shower now?”

“In a bit.” Fiyero pulled her against him, pressing a kiss to her lips. “That was a really bad idea, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” she acknowledged, finally coming down from her high. “We probably shouldn’t risk that again.”

But of course, they would.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero struggles not to be obvious about his attraction to Elphaba.

He had, at one point, accused Elphaba of being addicted to him, but he realized the opposite was true. Fiyero was somewhat ashamed of himself for risking everything by fucking her in that bed. If they’d been caught, any trade deal or even goodwill between Munchkinland and the Vinkus would be gone in an instant. He had put the wellbeing of his people in jeopardy for a roll in the hay with the great-granddaughter of the Eminence… under the Eminence’s own roof. What could possibly explain that if not an addiction? 

He didn’t love her. He knew better. But that body was absolute perfection and she fucking knew how to use it. Fiyero knew he would miss the sex for the rest of his life. He’d be lucky if he didn’t accidentally use her name in bed in the future. The thought made him laugh, and then cringe. Even without loving her, he was in way too deep.

The day of the luncheon, he waited in the tearoom for Elphaba so they could enter the conference room (that had been converted into a ballroom for this occasion) together. Her great-grandfather was already in there, socializing. One of the maids was helping Elphaba get ready, which Fiyero imagined she was very resistant to.

_ Holy shit _ . Fiyero looked up as there was a rustling noise in the doorway. She stood there, alone and gorgeous. This was a whole new side of Elphaba, and she looked absolutely amazing. Her hair was done up on her head other than two curls hanging down on either side of her face. Her eyes were lined, and the dress she wore looked regal. He saw her, truly saw her, as a woman with power for the first time, and it was as though she were made for it. He caught himself thinking that he hoped Sarima could achieve that level of decorum and elegance.

“I know I look ridiculous,” she murmured softly when she saw him staring.

“Fuck, no.” Fiyero stood up. “Ridiculous is  _ not _ the word I’d use. Now I’m really glad I offered to escort you because you are going to make me look so good.”

Her cheeks got dark. “Fiyero, don’t.”

“I mean it. You look so different, Elphaba. Like an Ozma regent.”

“Fiyero!”

“It’s true!” He held out an arm for her. “I can’t stop looking at you.”

“You have to! Think about what people would say. And you’re making me uncomfortable. You’ve made it clear you’re attracted to me, physically, and I know that. But you don’t usually look at me the way you’re looking at me right now, and I can’t.”

He swallowed hard and looked away for a moment. “Just understand that you do look beautiful. All the time.”

“Stop talking like you’re courting me or something.”

He couldn’t help himself. He doubted any man could. But he’d try. “I’m sorry. Shall we head in?”

She looked him over. “You don’t look so bad yourself, by the way. And note how I said that and it didn’t sound over-the-top.”

He chuckled. “Fine, fine. And thank you.” He gave her a mock bow before she finally took his arm. “Now, Miss Elphaba, future Eminent Thropp, allow me to escort you to…”

“The bedroom? Because I’d so much rather do that right now than this.”

“You’ll have to wait until we leave for that one.” He told her as they walked the hall.

“I know, I know.” Before they went in, she turned to him quickly and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered against his ear.

Maybe she did like what he’d said after all.

As they entered, only a few people turned to look at them - at least at first. The Eminence saw them and beamed. “Ah, my guests of honor. May I present my great-granddaughter, Elphaba, Thropp Third Descending and her good friend, Prince Fiyero Tiggular of the Arjikis.”

There were only thirty or so couples there, so it wasn’t nearly as crowded as Fiyero had feared it would be. People mostly smiled at them.

“Prince Fiyero is here working on a trade agreement with us. He goes to Shiz with Elphaba. You two are a little late, but why don’t you start the dancing for us?”

He watched Elphaba’s eyes twitch slightly, but she only turned to him and murmured, “I suppose we’d better do what we’re told.”

Fiyero knew how to dance - his parents had made certain of that due to his position. It had seemed odd to him at the time how dancing required much the same grace and poise as hunting. He swept Elphaba onto the dance floor and smiled at her. She gave him a half-smile as they danced, and he was glad for the excuse to stare at her some more. 

“This feels far too much like an absurd fairytale ball,” she commented softly so that only he could hear.

“You honestly look like you came right out of my fantasies, so I guess that could work.”

“I should slap you for that,” she replied calmly.

“But you won’t and we both know it,” he grinned. “The handsome, sexy prince and the lovely heir to another throne, dancing away… all we’d need is maybe some masks so we don’t know each other’s true identity, and it would be a fairytale.”

“Except we’d need to, you know, fall in love.”

“Good point.”

When the dance was over, they sat down near her great-grandfather and the mayor of Nest Hardings. 

“Miss Elphaba, you look lovely,” the mayor’s wife told her.

“Thank you.” Elphaba stared down at her plate.

“Is this prince your new beau?” The mayor gestured at Fiyero.

Quickly they both replied, “No.”

“We’re friends from school. She’s doing me a great favor by having me here to discuss trade,” Fiyero elaborated. 

The major looked Fiyero up and down for a moment. “You are very well-spoken, Prince Fiyero. Do you speak the same language in the Vinkus?”

He realized these people probably thought he was some savage foreigner and had likely never met a Vinkun. He hated that they had made assumptions, but realized he needed to make a good impression so as to dispel those ideas. “Mostly, yes. It’s quite a nice place. My people are isolated, but happy.”

“Ah. And you are liking it at Shiz?”

“Very much. The other students are wonderful and I’ve learned more than I could imagine.”

“And Miss Elphaba, you haven’t found yourself a future Mr. Eminent Thropp?” The mayor’s wife smiled.

“I don’t know that there will be one,” Elphaba mumbled.

“Why not? It seems to me you have an eligible bachelor right here,” the mayor insisted.

Fiyero put a hand on Elphaba’s knee beneath the table to stop her from snapping at the couple. “We’re really just good friends.” 

But he noticed her great-grandfather looking over at them with a look he didn’t understand. He hoped the dance hadn’t somehow given away their illicit relationship. People were reading more into them than he was comfortable with.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba's great-grandfather makes a startling suggestion.

The trade agreement was hammered out, for the most part. All the formalities were done. Elphaba felt much less tense than she had only days prior, and hoped she could spend the last days of her visit relaxing. But her great-grandfather had other ideas.

They were both called into the tea room with her great-grandfather. Fiyero had been in his room, presumably reading, and Elphaba had been meandering around the small library. She arrived after Fiyero and sat down. “What is it?”

“The other day, I had an idea and I thought I might propose it to you two.”

She and Fiyero exchanged confused glances. 

“Why stop at a trade agreement?” The Eminence smiled.

“What do you mean, your Eminence?” Fiyero asked, looking at Elphaba again.

“A partnership. And alliance. Sealed by a marriage.”

Elphaba stood up almost immediately. Fiyero was only sitting there wide-eyed. But she wasn’t going to go along with this. “Please tell me you are not trying to offer my hand to Fiyero in an attempt to establish this? I’m the only one who can give my hand to anyone.”

“Then I heavily suggest you give it to him. And sit down. You’re being overdramatic.” Her great-grandfather smiled as she blinked and did as she was told.

“There are a few things standing in the way of that, your Eminence,” Fiyero’s voice was soft. 

“Oh?” 

Elphaba took over again. “For one, I have no desire to ever get married. For another, Fiyero’s parents have chosen a bride for him already.”

“I will address the first part of that in a moment, Elphaba. Fiyero, I assume your parents are smart people?”

“Yes.”

“Is it possible they might put aside that arrangement in pursuit of one that would be of greater benefit to your people?”

“It’s possible, but I don’t know, Sir.”

“And it  _ doesn’t matter _ . We are not in love. I don’t want to marry him. And he probably doesn’t want to marry me, either,” Elphaba interrupted. How could this conversation even be happening? She was practically shaking with anger - not toward Fiyero, of course, but her great-grandfather. “Besides, how would it work? Eminent Thropp would need to be  _ here _ . And when Prince Fiyero is crowned, he’ll need to be in the Vinkus.”

“I’m willing to move our estate closer to the border.”

“Fiyero can’t do that as easily as you can, though. There are three tubes out there, after all, and I’m sure there are territorial issues.”

“There are some,” Fiyero agreed.

“And for Oz’s sake, you aren’t listening to how either one of us feels about this! It’s not your decision.”

“Fine. Prince Fiyero, how do you feel about it?”

“Don’t put him in the middle of this!”

“He hasn’t said much.”

Fiyero cleared his throat. “Can I talk to Elphaba alone for a moment?”

“I hope you’re going to talk some sense into her,” her great-grandfather muttered. He pointed to the next room. “Go ahead.”

She followed Fiyero into the other room, still fuming. “Fiyero, I am so sorry. I can’t believe he would even suggest this.”

“Elphaba, I… I think he might have a point.”

She couldn’t believe he was saying this. “What?!”

“Let’s look at this logically for a moment. After all, we agreed on no love or emotion, right?” Fiyero’s voice was low, reminding her that they didn’t need every part of this conversation being overheard.

She nodded. “We also agreed on our little relationship specifically to  _ avoid _ marriage.”

“We did. But think about a few things, at least think about what I’m considering here.”

“Fine.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Go ahead.”

“Logically, I can see how this opportunity could be amazing for my people. And the amount of power we would both hold is nothing to scoff at, Elphaba. We do get along. We can stand each other. I don’t know what I’d be walking into with Sarima. And… well, honestly, having you in my bed on a regular basis for the rest of my life? I wouldn’t complain. Think about that, Elphaba. You know what we have physically is intense, more intense than most. You really think we’ll just forget about the sex we had? You told me you think about it at night. And I do, too.”

That got through to her, just a little. Every night. For the rest of their lives. And no one would judge them or stop them. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought. But still… “I don’t want a marriage, Fiyero.”

“No, Elphaba, you don’t want to be told what to do. And you don’t want the idea of marriage that you have in your head. Who’s to say that’s what it’ll be?” He challenged.

“Will I have to have your children?”

“Yes.”

“Then no.”

“You could have everything, Elphaba. And that’s going to stop you?”

“Have you ever considered what I could be passing on? This allergy? Do you know how dangerous it is? I don’t want to be responsible for passing that burden to a child. Or this color.”

“I’m pretty sure our children wouldn’t be of normal color, anyway, Elphaba, look at me!”

“The allergy? I don’t know where it came from, Fiyero. How can I be sure? And how can you assume your perfect, gorgeous DNA would override my flawed DNA? And my family has a history of deformities.”

“Perfect? Gorgeous? Why thank you, Elphaba. See, when I said things like that about you, you got angry with me.”

“That’s… that’s not what I meant. And stop talking like we’re in love. We’re not. And that’s a problem, too.”

“Not really. I’m not in love with Sarima and I have to marry her. I like you, Elphaba. And we have good sex and we’re both smart, although I’m not as smart as you.”

“Speaking of Sarima, how do you even know your parents would allow you to back out?”

“I don’t. But I could find out. If you’d let me.”

“No.”

Fiyero shook his head. “You are out of your mind.”

“Because I won’t marry you? You’re out of your fucking mind. And how cocky can you be?”

“You wanted to help my people. Yes, there are some things that would clearly need to be ironed out, but Elphaba, this would help my people.”

“And what about mine? I have people, too, Fiyero.”

“I realize that. It would be an unprecedented marriage agreement. The sheer amount of people under the two of us would rival the Wizard if he were ever opposed.”

She froze, looking at him. “But you’d never do that.”

“Unless I were threatened, no, I wouldn’t.”

“Fiyero, I can see what you’re saying.”

“Good.”

“But I can’t.”

Fiyero wouldn’t look at her. “If that’s what you want.”

It had to be this way. Because even if she wouldn’t let herself love him, she could. And it would be so easy to love him. And that was the problem.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba stands her ground. Fiyero pushes her too far.

He was frustrated with her - more than that, he was a little angry at her. He realized the circumstances weren’t perfect or conventional, but now he wanted her as his wife. It could work. It could work  _ well. _ How could she not see the same thing?

She did the talking when they went back to her great-grandfather. “It’s not happening.”

The old man pursed his lips and looked between Fiyero and Elphaba. “Then I want answers. Why?”

Elphaba told him, “I don’t want a marriage.”

“And how, exactly, dear Elphaba, do you intend to continue the Thropp line?”

“Nessa or Shell can handle that.” She shrugged.

“I think we both know Nessarose is going to dedicate herself to the Unnamed God and have no children. That leaves Shell. He’s young.”

“But normal. The only normal one of us.”

Fiyero sat down quietly, knowing he no longer had a place in this conversation. Elphaba had made her choice, whether he liked it or not. He tried to push away the fantasy that had been playing in his mind - life married to Elphaba. He’d pictured her, a regal queen looking much like she had the day of the luncheon, at his side, holding their child, smiling at him. 

“You’re the one being given the highest power in Munchkinland.”

“Having a child is in no way required of me. I did my research.”

Fiyero almost laughed. Of course she had.

“I don’t understand you, Elphaba.”

“You don’t have to. And neither does Fiyero.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t!”

That was for sure. But neither one of them had asked him.

The argument went on for some time more, but Fiyero had tuned it out. They weren’t acknowledging him, anyway, and he knew how Elphaba could be. She would never agree to this, and it wouldn’t help to argue. In fact, arguing more would probably only hurt. As he’d pointed out to her, she hated being told what to do.

That night, as he sat in the guest room, attempting to understand how the day had turned out like it had, there was a knock at the door. He cocked his head before he got up to answer it. Elphaba didn’t knock unless she had to, and the door was unlocked. It was late, and her great-grandfather had to be asleep. 

When he opened the door, there Elphaba stood, in a nightdress that showed both too much and not enough, looking at him with desperation. Her eyes were full of longing, her face drawn. “Fiyero,” she whispered.

“Elphaba, we both said…” He would stand his ground on this. But damn, she looked so tempting, despite how frustrated he might be about what had happened earlier in the day. Was that why she was here? He shook his head. It didn’t matter. “We can’t.”

“I need you,” she told him. “Please.”

Four words. But they were enough to make him unravel. He closed the door behind her, locking it before turning back to her, finding that she was already naked on his bed, her nightdress now on the floor.

She beckoned to him, her eyes on his, and he followed her lead, joining her. Elphaba wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with abandon. He returned the fervor, touching her skin and running his fingers over her body as he did. His tongue tasted her mouth as she let one hand run along his back.

Fiyero trailed kisses down her body. He covered her with them until he found her slightly parted legs. He looked up at her with a single raised eyebrow and she nodded. He buried his face in her pussy, drinking her sweetness like a man in desperate need of hydration. Her pussy got wetter and wetter as he continued, and her body arched as she came. He continued, anyway, intent on consuming her. 

She stopped him, and drew him up to her again, lifting her hips and pressing against him, showing him what she wanted. He slid inside her, watching her eyes as she gasped. Her legs wrapped around his as he glided in and out of her. She tangled her hands in his hair, pulling him in for another kiss. They locked eyes as they moved together, and he watched her face. Her lips traced his name, “Yero.” Her voice was barely a whisper. 

“Fae,” he breathed, angling himself deeper inside her. He brushed her hair from her face, gaze caught on her, the way her eyes seemed to darken, how they could draw him in and he felt like he was a part of her. He felt her start to tighten around him. Her body became his again, and he watched her rise and fall and rise again until she let out a soundless moan, forming the shape of his name with her mouth. He followed her quickly, and collapsed beside her a moment later, watching her.

She turned to him, smiling. “I knew I could be quiet.”

He kissed her nose. “It’s a little disappointing that you had to, though. Because I love those noises you make.”

“Next time.”

“You know,” he said without thinking, “if we got married, no one would care what noises they heard. Every night, Elphaba. You could have that. I don’t understand why you won’t.” Even before he’d finished speaking, he began to wish he hadn’t said that.

Immediately, her face changed. She sat up and got out of bed. “I can’t believe you’re starting on this now.”

“You come in here and tell me you need me, and I risk all sorts of trouble to be with you, and now you’re mad at me?” He demanded. He definitely shouldn’t have said that, but now that he had, he was sticking to it.

“Did you just fuck me so you could try to talk me into being your power play again?” Her voice was low, but firm.

“No! My power play? I’m not even the one who came up with the idea, Fae! And yes, it would make me more powerful. It would make you more powerful, too! Think of what we could do together.”

“I have thought of that, Fiyero! You think I’m not tempted? But it’s not meant to be.”

“It feels like it is.”

She turned away, shaking her head. “No. Fiyero… you’re too invested in this. And we’ve broken too many rules. I think maybe it’s time this ends.”

“What is ‘this,’ then?”

“I don’t even know anymore. But it’s done.”

“So what was that, one last good fuck before you’re finished with me?”

“You got what you wanted and so did I! We are done.” Elphaba threw her nightdress back on and shimmied into her panties. “It was fun, Fiyero. And you’ll get your agreement and I will honor it. But you crossed a line, and I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” She was out the door before he could respond.

“Well, fuck,” he muttered to himself. The best thing that had happened in his life and he’d screwed it all up. She’d been so close to being his, and within hours, she was further away than she ever had been. The most concerning part, though, was that it hurt. If he didn’t love her, if this was truly about lust and trade, why did it hurt like this?


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba learns about her past - though she refuses to acknowledge her feelings for Fiyero.

She avoided him at all costs for the rest of their stay - though it was only two more days. Meals were hard, as she was tempted. She was always tempted around him. How could she not be? He was right, wasn’t he? She’d never forget the way they were together, and she’d always want it. But that was simply physical. She’d get over it. Or she’d find another way to satisfy that itch, though she couldn’t imagine how. Touching herself at night only did so much, and she doubted another man could make her feel like he did. Elphaba reminded herself that she didn’t need a man, and she’d known that. She’d been perfectly fine before they started their little trysts, and she’d be fine after.

Several tocks before they were to leave for the train station, her great-grandfather entered her room. “Elphaba, I think there are some things we should discuss.”

“Like giving away my hand in marriage as a power grab?”

“Not quite. But it does have to do with Fiyero, in a way.”

“I don’t want to talk about him.” She continued packing.

Her great-grandfather sat on the edge of the bed. “He agreed with me, didn’t he?”

“Does it matter?”

“You’re angry with him. I can tell.”

“I’m not. I’m just tired. And we got what we came here for. He’s my friend, but I’d like to get back to school and back to work.”

“I don’t quite believe that, but I suppose I’ll let it go. But I do want to talk to you about your overall opposition to marriage.”

“You’re not going to change my mind.”

“I have something for you.” Her great-grandfather produced a green bottle. “This.”

She took it, examining it. “What is it?”

“It’s what made you green. It’s not genetic, Elphaba. And your father? He’s not your father. But the green is not in your genes. It came from this.”

“How… how do you know?”

Her great-grandfather sat on the edge of the bed and patted for her to sit beside him, which she did. “When you were born, there were many questions. No one knew what had caused your coloring, your allergy, your unique traits. And your mother, well, she worried.”

“She only worried because she was horrified by me.”

He grabbed her hand. “Not quite. She told your Nanny a story, and Nanny swore never to tell you, but she wrote us.”

Elphaba simply nodded for him to continue.

“You know your father traveled a lot, and once, a traveling salesman came by. He was selling all kinds of wares. But he offered your mother a free sample of this. And your mother gave him a free sample of her own…”

“My mother slept with him? You don’t have to talk around it. I know what my mother was like.”

“Yes. He left the bottle, but he was gone when she woke. That traveling salesman was your father. We have not been able to locate him. But there was still some left in the bottle. We sent it off, and it was a strange substance. Magical, even. We don’t exactly know what it was, or how it was supposed to work. But we know it caused you. Your father wasn’t green or allergic to water. Unless you find more of this elixir, I doubt your children will be, either.”

“How did you know that’s why I don’t want to have children?”

“You made a comment about Shell being the only normal one and how he should be the one to continue the Thropp line. It was obvious, Fabala.”

“I…” Elphaba shrugged. “That’s not all of it.”

“You mean Nessarose? You know your mother took numerous drugs while she was pregnant. You really think it wasn’t because of that?”

“I just… I don’t think I’m a mother. And I don’t know if I want to be.”

“Elphaba, you’re twenty-one. You have time.”

“I know.” And with what she had just learned, the anxiety about reproducing quelled, partly. “I don’t have as much time as I think I do, do I?”

“You’re talking about Fiyero now, aren’t you?”

She closed her eyes. “Yes.”

“You’re right. You don’t. It sounds like he’ll have to be married pretty soon. And I know you love him.”

“I do not!”

“I’m not clueless, Elphaba. I see the way you two look at each other.”

“I don’t love him.” She insisted.

“Even if that’s true, I can imagine you two might have a happy marriage. He’s on your level.”

“My level?”

“Intellectually. And he has more patience than most men do, which I think is fairly important if they’re going to be married to you.”

She glared at him.

“He’s a good match for you. But you don’t have time to be ambivalent about how you feel, or about children, or the future.”

“What if I want that time more than I want him?”

“So you do want him?”

“I didn’t quite say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” Her great-grandfather sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you. I know, politically, it’s a move you should consider. I know he loves you. And I think there’s more between the two of you than you’re willing to share.”

Her head jerked toward him, thinking about what she and Fiyero had done two nights prior. “What do you mean by that?”

“Just that I’m not ignorant, Elphaba.”

She wasn’t sure if that confirmed her fears or not, but she certainly wouldn’t admit to it unless presented with proof. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to marry him. Or anyone. I like being on my own.”

“Maybe. But you like him, too.”

Elphaba stood up and shut her suitcase. “Thank you for talking to me, and for telling me the truth about my mother and father. I will think about that. But it doesn’t change much for the moment.”

Her great-grandfather only shook his head, kissed her forehead and left. “Don’t wait too long.”

On the train, she was reminded of the small compartment she had to share with Fiyero. They could barely exist in that compartment without touching. She could sense his every movement, hear him breathe, feel his eyes on her.

After they sat in silence for several hours, Fiyero spoke. “I’m sorry, Fae. I shouldn’t have pushed you. It was wrong. Being with you gets me all worked up sometimes, and I supposed I got overwhelmed. Maybe hormones, or the afterglow. I know we agreed when all this started. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I broke the agreement. I respect your choice.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. She finally met his eyes. “We made some bad choices, Fiyero. Together. And we kept making them.”

“I know. We both could’ve afforded a little more restraint.”

“Yes.”

“I understand if you don’t want to continue our physical relationship anymore.”

But looking at him, her resolve weakened. “I… maybe I do. I don’t know. I’m having fun. But we need some distance, clearly. And we need to remember what the limit was. I think the nicknames need to stop. We need to spend some time apart.”

“I agree.” He put a hand over hers. “A few weeks?”

The contact seared through her skin. “Starting when we get back? I mean, distance is certainly not possible in this little compartment, so it wouldn’t hurt to just…”

“Your wish is my command.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero tries to keep his distance with Elphaba, reminding himself what this was supposed to be to begin with.

No marriage. Just sex. No attachments. No love. That had been the deal. It was still the deal. He had gotten confused, but he shouldn’t have been so foolish. Yes, marrying Elphaba would’ve been a great benefit to his people and himself, but he already had what he had asked for, and that was enough. Wasn’t it?

Two weeks without touching her was agony. They sat as far away from one another as possible in class, and he avoided any outings with their circle of friends so that he wouldn’t have to see her. He knew the chemistry between them was explosive, and the fires they started whenever they got too close were ones that couldn’t easily be put out, so it’d be better to keep away from her altogether. Fiyero thought of it as practice for when school ended and they went back to their respective homes, never to touch again. But if this was what it would be like, he didn’t relish the thought. 

Being away from her didn’t stop him from thinking about her, even dreaming about her. Fiyero did his best to keep himself distracted, but it felt like years had gone by when she finally knocked at his door again two Fridays after they returned.

A few hours after arriving, she shifted beside him. “You know, I am a little more sore since we’ve gone without for more than two weeks. I wondered if that would be the case.”

“Does it hurt much?” He was suddenly concerned. She hadn’t acted like she was in pain.

“No, it feels more like I used a muscle that I hadn’t used much and it aches slightly. I’m sure that’ll go away.” Elphaba sighed. “I don’t think I’ll even notice next time, which I assume will be here in the next hour or two. But you were also a little rough there, not that I minded. I expected it’d be more intense when you had to wait.”

“You talk like you weren’t participating just as much,” he observed.

“Oh, no, no, you know I was. And I was more than willing. I wanted it to be intense. I missed it.”

“Me, too.”

“Mmm, I can tell.” She kissed him before lying back again.

Still, she sounded so clinical and detached. Elphaba hadn’t talked like that before. Fiyero thought he knew why - she was reminding him to keep his emotional distance. Or was she reminding herself? He decided not to think about it. Besides, she certainly hadn’t sounded detached while he was fucking her, and that was all that mattered.

Except he knew it wasn’t. The visit with her great-grandfather had opened a door that they’d both tried to shut, but he wasn’t successful. A day had not gone by when he hadn’t pictured her as his wife, imagined her in his bed at Kiamo Ko, thought of her beside him at his coronation, wondered what their children would look like… Was he in love with her? Or was it because the idea had been put in his head?

He looked over at her. Usually, she rested her head on his shoulder or chest afterward. Tonight she wasn’t touching him. He often fell asleep with his face buried in her hair, or with his arms around her, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case tonight, either. Fiyero longed to pull her closer, to inhale her and taste her and feel her, but he knew he shouldn’t. There was a reason she was trying to put distance between them. He didn’t like it, but he knew if he pushed it, there would be nothing between them at all.

He also knew that, despite the fact that he wanted it badly, he couldn’t ever speak to her about marriage again. If she ever decided she did want it, she’d have to get there on her own. But Fiyero knew that it would take her too long. He had to be married. She valued her independence. There was nothing that could fix that.

But did he love her? He didn’t know. Fiyero didn’t know what love was. He knew he loved his family. What he felt for Elphaba wasn’t like that. It wasn’t like anything he’d felt before. And in reality, he didn’t want to name it when there was nothing to be done about it. He knew there were only precious months before they’d never speak again as lovers. He’d take what he could get and not worry about labels.

“Are you well?” Elphaba poked him. “I don’t understand what’s gotten into your head.”

“Fine.” He dragged himself back to the present, which he was determined to enjoy. “Maybe I’m tired.” He wasn’t.

“Should I go?”

“No!” He cringed. That sounded pathetic. “No, no. I’m not done with you.”

She smiled wickedly. “Good.”

“Give me a few minutes, and you’ll be screaming my name.” And just his name. No more “Yero,” or “Fae,” and he didn’t like that, either. 

“I could scream it now, if it would hasten you,” she teased.

Fiyero laughed. “As much as I’d enjoy that, I don’t think it’d get your desired result.”

Elphaba closed her eyes for a moment. “Maybe I’m a little tired, too. But I really intended not to stay the night.”

“You can. I promise I’ll wake you up - and you’ll be quite happy to see me, too.”

She giggled and propped her head in her hand. “Mmm, promise?”

He reached over and kissed her. “Gladly. Besides, don’t you have to stay? What would Glinda think if you got back early? Actually, what has she thought the past two weeks?”

Elphaba shrugged. “She hasn’t asked, really. I assume she will at some point.”

“And what will you tell her?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet.”

He thought for a moment. “If you wanted to tell her the truth, I’d understand.”

“Fiyero?”

“You two are close, and I’m honestly surprised she hasn’t figured out that something is going on. But if you felt comfortable telling her, I won’t be angry. I’m sure she can be discreet.” He ran a finger along her cheek. “Or do you think she would be too upset?”

“It’s hard to tell, honestly,” Elphaba said. “I think part of her might be, because it goes against the exact way her life and the life of most girls is planned out. But at the same time, I don’t know that she’d truly be offended by it or anything.”

“If you choose to tell her, I respect that. Don’t feel you have to keep a secret on my account. I trust you.”

“That’s what this has all been about, Fiyero, trust. We trusted each other from the beginning, or we wouldn’t have done this, would we?”

“I was a little surprised you trusted me with the responsibility.”

“Responsibility? You make it sound like taking my virginity was some sort of badge of honor or even a difficult chore.”

“Oh, it certainly wasn’t a chore. But I did appreciate that you trusted me. No matter who you are, being naked and vulnerable in front of someone can be uncomfortable if you don’t trust the person.”

“I trusted you. From the moment I met you, Fiyero, I knew I could trust you.”

“Really? How?”

“I just did.”

“You don’t seem like one who trusts easily,” he pointed out.

“I usually don’t. Maybe it was just instinct. I don’t know. But I’m glad I did.”

Fiyero kissed her before laying back and closing his eyes. “So am I.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba tells Glinda the truth, but the ensuing conversation gives her no more answers.

She thought she loved him. Elphaba knew she shouldn’t, but she was fairly certain it was true. The wisest thing to do would’ve been to end it completely, but her body wouldn’t let her. She couldn’t be on the same campus as him and not touch him. So instead, she tried to separate herself as much as possible. And she wondered… how had it come to this? How long had she felt like this? But she had no answers.

Elphaba had been attracted to him almost immediately. But at that point, she’d been closed off so long that she ignored it. Part of it had been the diamonds, and she was still mesmerized by them even now. Part of it, however, had been in his eyes. The first time he’d caught her eyes, she’d felt warmth, and oddly, she’d felt safe. She’d try to tell herself these feelings were deceptive, but when there was a chance to spend time with him, she’d taken it. And she didn’t regret that, she couldn’t.

She wouldn’t go back on her declaration, though. She would not marry him. Even if she loved him, he was only thinking of his people. How could she trust a man who married her only for her power? 

Glinda and Pfanee received a letter from Shen-Shen shortly after they returned from the winter holidays. The girls loudly read it and picked apart each word, while Elphaba sat trying not to roll her eyes too much.

“‘And then came the wedding night,’” Glinda read, Pfanee squealing obnoxiously. “‘I wore a robe when he came in, to be modest before we turned out the lights…’”

Wait, men didn’t even usually look at their wives naked? Did that mean women didn’t see men naked? This was even more ridiculous than she’d thought.

“‘He took off his shorts. He kissed me for a few minutes, and then he touched me between my legs. He did that for a minute or two, and it felt nice, I suppose. Then he put it inside me, and girls, it hurt!’”

Of course it hurt, with barely any foreplay. Elphaba was increasingly grateful she had forgone that dreadful deflowering and instead chosen to take things into her own hands.

“‘It was maybe five minutes, and it was so uncomfortable. But as is our duty, I knew I would bear it without a sound. He came to me every night, and the pain has stopped. Sometimes, if he can go on for a few extra minutes, it does start to feel nice, but it’s really nothing to worry about. I am hoping I will soon bear the fruits of my labor and become pregnant.’”

“Poor thing,” Elphaba muttered.

“What was that?” Pfanee asked.

She flushed, realizing she’d said that out loud. “I just meant… that doesn’t sound like a good first time. And five minutes seems dreadfully short.”

“And how would you know what a good amount of time is?”

“I wouldn’t. I said it  _ seems _ short.” She did know it was short. Fiyero took much longer than that. He’d never be able to finish with her in five minutes if he tried.

“And we must all suffer through a painful first time, Miss Elphaba. It is our duty as wives and women.”

“No, it’s not! Sex isn’t supposed to be like that!”

Both girls stared at her.

Elphaba backtracked. “Look, maybe I shouldn’t have, but I’ve read some of those books that they warn us away from. The detailed fiction? About romance and sex? I realize it’s made-up, but I can’t imagine it’s completely fake. In other cultures, sex is supposed to be enjoyable, not just for men, but women, too.”

Pfanee simply sighed and turned to Glinda. “I think I’m going to leave. Did Shen-Shen say anything else interesting?”

“Not really.” Glinda was still looking at Elphaba.

“Good. Bye.” Pfanee left.

“You’ve read those books? Really?” Glinda raised eyebrows at her. 

“I was curious!”

“I’ll bet most of them are written by men to tempt women…”

“Even if they are, there is truth to them, Glinda.” She remembered the conversation she’d had with Fiyero weeks ago, and, after considering it for a moment, she added, “I would know.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ve had sex.”

Glinda replied, shockingly, “You have  _ not! _ ”

“Wow. I admit one of my deepest secrets and you assume I’m lying? You want to reconsider that? Think about it. I don’t fucking volunteer at a homeless shelter, Glinda.” She was almost hurt that Glinda had automatically thought she was lying, that she’d never sleep with someone. 

“What?” Glinda’s eyes went wide, as realization began to dawn on her.

“I don’t want to get married, Glinda, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t want to have sex.”

“With who?” The blonde folded her arms across her chest.

Elphaba laughed. “Wait. You’re not questioning my decision? You’re going straight to the details. No lecturing me? No horror?”

“Not really. It’s you. What good would it do to tell you that was an incredibly stupid choice and possibly made you unmarriagable? You wouldn’t care, would you?”

“So you believe me.”

“Maybe. But tell me how.”

“Like I said, I wanted to have sex, just not to get married. So I found someone who doesn’t want to get married, at least not to me, but wanted to have sex with me.”

“And that someone is…?”

“Fiyero.”

“Prince Fiyero? You cannot be serious!”

“I’m completely serious. I thought it would be best. He’s arranged to be married. I never want to marry. It would make things easier on both of us - no wanting what we can’t have. And he wanted me, physically. So we did it. Actually, we did it a lot.” Elphaba shrugged.

Glinda could only look at her, mouth hanging open.

“And yes, maybe it was a rash decision, but I learned something. Sex is  _ good _ . It doesn’t have to be this shameful thing. And Fiyero always makes sure I feel good. Most men don’t do that for their wives - why should they? All that matters to them is that they get off. Their wives have to sleep with them, regardless. But Fiyero knew if he wanted me to continue having sex with him, he’d have to make me want it. So he actually works for it. And it is good.”

“You… and Fiyero?” Glinda’s mouth was still open.

“Yes.”

“All this time?”

“Yes.”

“Elphaba, there’s another reason women don’t just have sex with men. It’s not just about being marriageable, it’s about emotion. What if you did fall for him?” Glinda put a hand on her shoulder.

Elphaba looked away. “It doesn’t matter, does it?”

“You have fallen for him, haven’t you?”

“I have not.”

“You poor, hopeless child.”

“Child? I’m a woman, Glinda! And I’m twenty-one. An adult.”

“Fine, fine. And by the way, I want all of the details about the first time, and maybe more than that! But first let’s address the issue: You have totally fallen for him. You’re hopeless.”

“I did not fall for him. I’m not stupid. And I still feel the same way about marriage I did before.”

“As I think you’ve pointed out, marriage is different than love.”

“In many cases, yes.”

“Then do you love him, Elphaba? Be honest.”

“I don’t fucking know.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero tries to pull one over on Elphaba, but she's too smart.

“I, um, I did tell Glinda,” Elphaba whispered to him late one night.

“Really?” He sat up a little, amused. “What in Oz did she say?”

“She wasn’t as shocked as I thought she’d be.”

“You thought she might be offended.”

“She really wasn’t. But she did demand details.”

He kissed her. “What’d you tell her, then?” Fiyero ran his fingers down her arms. “Everything? All the dirty words? Every single thing we’ve done? Every act, every position?”

“Not quite. But I told her what it feels like, how it can be. Women are raised to think about sex a certain way, and that’s not necessarily good for us. If we want to enjoy it, we have to let go of that thinking, a little. You made it easy to let go. And I’ve always been skeptical of what I’ve been taught, so it wasn’t hard to realize that I could participate, and that I could let myself feel it all. I could admit that I had desires and wants and needs. Most women are told never to do that.”

“And that is a fucking shame. I love how you are in bed, Elphaba. You’re so alive, and when you feel good, so do I.”

“I’ve noticed.” She smiled at him. “I don’t think I would’ve felt so comfortable with it if you hadn’t made me feel that way. I thought it was odd, the way you had it set up at first, trying to ease me into it. But now, I completely understand why you did that. And thank you for that.”

“It was easy. And you made me want to. Elphaba, no matter what I tell you or try to do to help, it was partly up to you to allow it and own it. You did.”

“Well, thank you anyway.”

He bit his lip. He’d wanted to bring something up, but he had to do it carefully. “So, next Friday, would you come for dinner? We can go straight to fucking afterward, but I’d like to make you dinner.”

“That sounds a little romantic, though…”

“I was thinking I’d use some herbs and foods that are known to, uh, enhance desire. I’ve been reading about them and I wanted to see if it worked.” That was partly a lie, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Hmm? Now you’re talking.” Elphaba pulled him close. “I think maybe I will come for dinner, then. And I’ll come later, then, too.”

“I’ll make sure of it.” It wasn’t a date, not exactly. But what Elphaba had likely forgotten was that next Friday was a holiday known as Lover’s Day. While he couldn’t date her, court her or marry her, she was his lover and he wanted to do something special for her. But he thought if he told her why, she might get upset with him like she had at her great-grandfather’s. He couldn’t risk losing the little he had of her.

“You’re very good at that, aren’t you?” She teased.

“I’d say we’re equally talented.”

“Oh?” She grabbed him and kissed him again. “Show me.”

He noticed she didn’t sleep as much. She tried to keep them both up all night. He wasn’t going to complain. After all, he didn’t want to sleep through a moment of the little time they had left together. Maybe she didn’t, either. Or maybe she was afraid sleeping there might imply it meant something that she didn’t want it to. She was impossible to read sometimes, though he always tried.

“You… you lit candles? For dinner?” Elphaba looked around his apartment that next Friday night.

“To get you in the mood,” he assured her. 

“Fiyero,” she said softly, “don’t lie.”

“What?”

“You really think Glinda and Pfannee haven’t been obsessing over Lover’s Day for weeks? I didn’t put it together when you asked, but I’m not stupid.”

Fiyero gulped. “Look, I know you’re probably angry with me…”

“I’m not,” she said, surprising him.

“You’re not?”

“The intention was sweet.” She reached out and pressed a hand against his chest. “Even if it was misguided.”

“Eat with me, then? And stay the night?” He wasn’t sure why she wasn’t upset with him, but he was definitely going to make the most of it.

“Gladly.” She sat down at the table. “I’m also guessing none of these are aphrodisiacs?”

“You knew I was lying when I asked you, didn’t you?”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Maybe.”

“You just told me you didn’t!”

“I wanted you to feel like you’d actually been somewhat successful in your deception.” She shrugged, biting back a smirk.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Fiyero, you’re a phenomenal cook. I am not going to turn down a meal. The food in the cafeteria leaves something to be desired. I don’t have access to a kitchen in my dormitory, and even if I did, I’m more of a baker than a cook. You don’t cook for me often, but when you do, it’s delicious. The minute you suggested it I was hungry.”

He stared at her for a moment. “Really?”

“Really.” She laughed. “Have I never told you that?”

“You haven’t.” But he liked hearing it. The compliment made him happy, and he watched as she enjoyed her food. He thought for a moment that, if she would marry him, he’d cook for her regularly, even if they had cooks. It would please her, so he’d do it. Not that it mattered.

“You’re looking at me strangely,” she commented between bites.

“I am not! I’m just thinking about what I’m going to do to you later.”

She grinned at that. “Oh? Any specific plans?”

“I’m working on it.” Fiyero smiled at her. “It’s nice to just sit and eat, isn’t it?”

“Mmm, it is.”

“I know we’re just over a month into this semester, but it’s already moving so quickly. I needed to just stop and take my time.”

“I understand what you mean.” She nodded. “And Glinda is on me constantly now.”

“About?”

“You, actually. Now that she knows where I’m going and what I’m doing, she questions me for details. Or she gives me these absurd looks when I come back.”

Fiyero laughed. “I’m not surprised.”

Elphaba reached across the table and took his hand. “Thank you. Really. This was sweet, and I really needed this.”

“We both did,” he told her.

When she beckoned him to his bed, he followed eagerly. It was slow and deliberate, and he buried himself in her, wanting all of her. Afterward, she curled against him, smiling. She didn’t let him hold her as much anymore, but he took the opportunity now. “Yero,” she whispered.

“Fae,” he whispered back. “Stay here. We don’t have to have sex. I just… I want you here. Please.”

“I can’t say ‘no,’ to you, Yero. Not ever,” she murmured sleepily.

Except she did refuse him on the one thing he would’ve killed to have her agree to: marriage.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba are interrupted by a visitor. Fiyero finally acknowledges his feelings.

He had heard her. But he wasn’t sure where it had come from. It was the heat of the moment, at the height of passion. If she’d truly meant it, she’d have said it again. And his response had been absolutely stupid. “Me, too,” he’d said. He wasn’t sure she’d heard him, thank Oz, because that was the most ridiculous reply. What did that even  _ mean _ ?

She didn’t say it again, so he wouldn’t talk about it. Maybe she didn’t even realize what she said. But that night, he’d wanted to beg her to marry him again. Didn’t she realize a marriage between them would be so much more than what she thought a marriage could be? They’d be partners, lovers, rulers, and they’d do it together. There’d never be a woman more fit for the role than Elphaba was.

Instead, he buried himself in her constantly. Every time she came over, he devoured her. If he couldn’t have her forever, he’d have her every way so much that it felt like forever. He’d never forget the way she felt, the way she tasted…

“Fiyero, this is too much,” she whimpered.

His face was buried between her sweet thighs, and he was covered in her delectable juices. He’d been at it for at least an hour, and maybe it was too much, but he needed her taste. Maybe, if he had enough, there’d always be a part of her on his tongue, in his mouth.

“Really, Fiyero, just fuck me.” Elphaba shifted a little, but he didn’t stop. “Oh, maybe just one more time you could…”

There was a loud knock at the door.

Elphaba’s eyes got wide. No one ever came by, especially not when she was there. “Shit. What if it’s another student? How are you going to explain not answering the door? Or the mess? Or…?”

Fiyero wiped at his face. “Um…”

From the other side of the door came a familiar voice. “Fiyero, guess who?”

He frowned for a moment, muttering, “It can’t be.”

The voice continued, “Your dad sent me here on business! I had to come visit.”

Elphaba was already wrapping her dress around her. “What’s happening?”

“It’s Restorn. An old friend. I didn’t know he was in town.” He pulled on shorts and started walking toward the door. “Luckily he really won’t care what’s been going on in here.”

“Well, I’m going to clean up and get decent, anyway. I’m not going to be here half-dressed in front of some stranger.” Elphaba gathered her clothing and locked herself in the bathroom.

Fiyero opened the door and patted his old friend on the back. “My father really trusted you with business affairs?” But he smiled at his friend. He was happy just to see someone from home. “Couldn’t he send me to do something?”

“Clearly you’re otherwise busy. Where’s the girl?” Restorn got right to the point, as usual.

“What makes you think there’s a girl?”

“Have you seen your face? You need a towel.”

He grinned sheepishly. “I probably do. Come in.”

“So, where is she?”

“Making herself decent or whatever. But really, what are you doing here?”

“Your father wanted me to hand-deliver a few things and check in at the bank while I was here.”

“And he sent you?”

“I am my father’s son, after all.” Restorn’s father was in charge of the little coin they used in the Vinkus. It was also a position that seemed to be inherited, as Restorn’s grandfather had done it for Fiyero’s grandfather. Likely enough, Restorn would be in charge of the coin when Fiyero took the throne.

“But why not your father?”

“Kumbrica if I know.” Restorn flopped down on Fiyero’s small couch. “I’m glad you have faith in me.”

“I do, I do. And it is nice to see a familiar face. I’ve been gone so long I forget myself sometimes. I forget how much we both have changed over time.”

“That’s better. Now tell me about the girl.”

“It’s just a girl.”

“Not at Shiz. You know how prude women can be, and college girls? The worst. Where’d you find someone to sleep with? A brothel?”

“No! She’s not… no.”

“Is she up for a swap? Because I am in need of a real break and some release and I don’t know any ladies around here.”

Fiyero barely had time to realize the rage bubbling in him before it came out. “How could you suggest that? No! You will not lay a finger on her.” He stomped toward his friend before realizing how aggressive he was and looking away.

Restorn sat up a little. “Um, Fiyero, you sound a little possessive there. And I don’t know why, given that she’s  _ not your wife _ . Are you in love with this girl or something? Because that’ll be a problem.”

_ Shit _ . “I didn’t say I was in love.”

“Oh, you did say it, even if you didn’t use the right words. And you are.”

“And if I am?” He asked quietly. “Please remember she is right in there.”

“You, Fiyero, of all people, falling in love? That’s dangerous shit for someone like you. You have to marry Sarima.”

“What if I didn’t want to? And marriage doesn’t mean I have to love Sarima. You know it’s arranged and will likely mean very little to either of us.”

“But you can’t still love this girl when you marry Sarima, whoever this girl is. I doubt she’s following you to the Vinkus. Maybe this is a sorcery thing? Did she put a spell on you?”

“I wish it were that simple.” Fiyero looked over. “So, fine. I’m in love with this girl.”

“Does she know it?”

“No.”

“Then forget about her, Fiyero.”

“That’ll never happen.”

Elphaba emerged from the bathroom then, looking prim and proper. Her cheeks flushed when she saw Restorn, and then when she looked at Fiyero. He really must look like a mess. She swallowed hard. “Hello.”

Restorn looked her up and down and stood up, as was proper. “Hello. I’m Restorn, and friend of Prince Fiyero’s.”

“He explained as much.”

“And you are?”

“This is Elphaba, Thropp Third Descending. We go to school together.” Fiyero introduced her.

Restorn’s jaw dropped. “Wait. Thropp Third Descending. Aren’t you working on a trade deal with the Eminence?” He gave Fiyero a concerned look. “Oh my gods, you’re fucking the heir. What in Oz is wrong with you?”

Elphaba coughed. “I don’t know what you know, but I should probably leave. I assure you, this has been strictly separate from anything political, and strictly platonic.”

“Right, right.” Restorn shook his head. “Miss Elphaba, please excuse me. I’ve been crass. I was just concerned that Fiyero hasn’t been exactly acting like a prince. And I’m sure you deserve much better, uh, treatment.”

“I assure you it’s fine. And I really should leave.” Elphaba grabbed her bag, throwing Fiyero a look. “Talk later?”

“Yes.”

As soon as the door closed behind her, Restorn sighed heavily. “I can’t fucking believe you. Please tell me you didn’t fuck her to get close to her for the trade agreement? How is she going to react when you get married? Are you stupid? What if the Eminence finds out you’re fucking his great-granddaughter?”

“Calm down. She and I have an agreement. It’s fine.”

“It is not fine. What kind of agreement do you even think you have?”

“Elphaba came to me. She promised what she asked would have no bearing on the trade agreement. She’s a proud girl, and she’s independent. But she wanted something physical, and physical only. We agreed to keep emotion out of it.”

“You just told me you’re in love with her!”

“Yeah, so I failed at that.” Fiyero shrugged. “The point is, she’s not dreaming of getting married to me, and I have not lied to her about anything. This was a mutual, consensual and beneficial thing that was completely separate from the trade agreement.”

“But you fell in love with the next Eminent Thropp. And you fucked her. Probably deflowered her.”

“Yes, on all accounts.”

“I didn’t peg you as one who thought with his cock constantly.”

“I don’t, Restorn. She’s… she’s different.”

“You sound pathetic, Fiyero. You’re engaged to be married and she’s years, maybe months away from becoming the most powerful Eminence in Munchkinland.”

“Who says I have to marry Sarima?”

“Tradition. Your parents. You can’t seriously think you’re marrying that girl.”

“Think about if I did! Eminent Thropp and the Arjiki Prince. That’s a powerful alliance.”

“So you did fuck her for political gain?”

“Not really, no.”

“And you can’t just walk out on a marriage to Sarima.”

“I might have a way.”

“And that girl? She wants to marry you? Is she as stupid as you are?”

“See, Restorn, that’s where the problem is…”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba contemplates what she overheard. Glinda forces Elphaba to come terms about the truth of how she feels.

She had heard him. Every word he said to his friend when she was hiding in the bathroom. Her heart thudded as she walked back to her dorm, digesting the information. It wasn’t one-sided after all. But what did that mean going forward? It could well mean nothing, if she chose not to share that she’d heard him. And maybe that would be for the best.

But she couldn’t help wondering what would happen if she was honest, and she told him what she’d heard, how she felt. And what happened when he had to get married to Sarima? Would it all be pointless?

“Elphie, what in Oz is going on with you?”

She had barely walked into their room. “What?”

Glinda grabbed her hand. “First of all, it’s Friday evening. I know where you were. And the look on your face, Elphie, is devastating.”

“What look?”

“The look of a girl who is completely lost.”

“I am not lost, Glinda.” Elphaba sat down on her bed, tugging away from Glinda. “I’m right here. How could I be lost?”

“You know what I mean and I am not letting you talk around it! What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Then why aren’t you being completely unladylike over at Fiyero’s right now?” Glinda folded her arms across her chest. 

Elphaba laughed for a moment. Glinda had been so curious about what she did with Fiyero, but refused to ever speak the words. Even after Elphaba had gone into some detail about it all, Glinda insisted on talking this way. “You mean why am I not in his bed fucking him right now?” She just wanted to see Glinda blush.

“Elphie!”

“You are such a prude.”

“That is not the point here, is it? You are clearly trying to steer this conversation away from whatever it is that’s going on.”

“Nothing interesting is going on, Glinda. Apparently an old friend of Fiyero’s came to town on business and showed up at his apartment for a visit unannounced. I decided I’d leave and let them catch up.” That sounded so much less complicated than it was.

“I’d believe you if it weren’t for the look on your face when you walked in here.”

“I was out of it. It had nothing to do with Fiyero.”

Glinda sat down beside Elphaba. “Did you tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

“That you love him.”

“No. Because I don’t.” But the lie was utterly unconvincing, and she knew it. Glinda probably did, too.

“I’m going to ignore the fact that you’re completely in denial here and move on. If you didn’t tell him how you  _ obviously _ feel, Elphaba, what did happen?”

Elphaba gave up. “He said it, instead.”

Glinda squealed. “He told you he loves you?”

“Well, not exactly. He didn’t tell  _ me _ . I was in the other room and he told his friend.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

“Because you’re you and you can’t handle it. What do you think he thought would happen if he did tell you, Elphaba? You are against marriage. You are against courting. And you told me this was supposed to be an unemotional thing. I don’t understand why he hasn’t figured out that you’re head-over-heels in love with him, but he hasn’t. So he’s afraid.”

“So I’m the problem?”

“A little bit, probably.” Glinda grabbed her hand. “Look, I also don’t know why you couldn’t see it. Everyone else could.”

“Everyone else could see what?”

“That he loves you.”

“And what do you mean by everyone else?”

“Elphie, we all know. No one thought anything was actually happening between the two of you, but I’m pretty sure everyone sees how in love with you he is.”

“How do you know?”

“Boq has said something. So has Pfanee.”

“What?”

“If it helps, they didn’t know if you felt the same. So I guess you aren’t as obvious.”

“Why… why didn’t anyone…?”

“Because he’s arranged to be married, Elphaba. They thought it was a hopeless crush. They didn’t know what I do.”

Elphaba closed her eyes and shook her head. “Glinda, what am I going to do?”

“You’re going to tell him.”

“That I heard him? What, I’m supposed to say, ‘By the way, Fiyero, I heard you tell your old friend that you’re in love with me, so I guess we’d better talk,’ because that sounds ridiculous!”

“I meant more along the lines of telling him that you’re in love with him. And don’t bother denying it again, Elphie.”

“I know, I know.” She took a deep breath. “What… what happens after that?”

“I don’t know.”

“He’ll want me to marry him.”

“And you still don’t want to?”

“I don’t  _ know _ . There are so many questions.”

“The only one who can answer the questions, Elphie, is Fiyero. And maybe you. And the only way you two can even have the conversation is if you tell him how you feel.”

“I kind of did once, you know.”

“Really?”

Elphaba gave a half-grin. “Well, I mean, it wasn’t the best moment.”

Glinda gave her a stern look. “Elphie, please don’t tell me…”

“Oh, I am telling you. I told him while he was fucking me. It slipped out. It just all felt so good and I couldn’t help it.”

Glinda just shook her head. “You are a mess, Miss Elphaba the Delirious.”

“I told you never to call me that.”

“I think it fits, especially right now.”

Elphaba folded her arms across her chest. “Fine.”

“Fine, you’ll tell him?”

“I… I’ll consider it. But I’m not going back over there tonight. He’s with his friend. And I won’t go over there again until Tuesday.”

“Really? Like clockwork with you, huh?”

“I guess. It helped me keep my distance at other times.”

“Well, Elphaba, maybe you shouldn’t keep your distance.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero comes to the realization that he has to confess his feelings, and possibly even go further than that.

Restorn stared at him as Fiyero told him everything. He muttered occasionally, but for the most part was silent. When he finished, he sat beside his friend and said, “How fucked am I?”

“Beyond fucked. Look, your plan to not marry Sarima is actually pretty damn smart. But the problem you appear to have is that little Miss Eminence-to-be not only won’t go along with it, she doesn’t even know about it.”

“If I tell her, it’ll scare her away.”

“If you don't, then she's gone, anyway.”

"I realize that. But I have two more months with her, and if I scare her away now…"

"You need to tell her now. You need time to put things in motion if she does agree. You need to find out if the love she has for you goes this far."

"How do you know she has any love for me at all?"

"Because I saw her face when she looked at you, Fiyero.”

“It’s that obvious?”

“Not nearly so obvious as you are.” Restorn laughed. “Fiyero, I’m not really certain about any of this. It’s odd to me, coming from the Vinkus where girls would kill to marry you.”

“Yes, it is ironic that the one girl I want to marry me is the one who doesn’t want to.”

“Then woo her, Fiyero.”

“I have tried,” he insisted. “A lot.”

“Oh? Was that what you were doing when I came in?”

“I mean, in a way,” Fiyero laughed. “I’m just reminding her of what she’ll be missing. And I can’t help myself around her. I have to have her.”

Restorn rolled his eyes a little. “Wow, you are really pathetic about this, you know.”

“Trust me, I know. And I don’t think she’d like that if she knew. She’s very strong-willed, and I don’t think she’d like to see me acting like a fool over her.”

“Maybe she would, though. Just because she’s strong doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to know she can make you feel like that. As pathetic as it is. And when was the last time you two talked about marriage?”

“When it was brought up by her great-grandfather.”

“Wasn’t that almost three months ago?”

He nodded.

“How do you know her mind hasn’t changed?”

“I’m sorry, but you don’t know her very well. She is incredibly stubborn about certain things. This would be one of them.”

“But you’ve been wooing her? And, uh, showing her what she’d be missing? For these three months?”

“Well, yes.”

“Then there’s no way to know if it worked unless you fucking ask.”

Fiyero sighed. Restorn had a point. Actually, he’d made multiple points. But he couldn’t shake his fear of losing Elphaba, even though he’d lose her eventually if he didn’t make a move, anyway. Was he just prolonging the inevitable by trying to hide his feelings and never bringing it up? Or was he protecting himself from the heartbreak he was so certain would come next? “You’re right.”

“Fiyero, when you talked to her about it, did feelings come into play at all?”

“I tried not to let them. I didn’t think she’d want that. I told her I liked her and we were obviously physically compatible, but no, I didn’t exactly say I had romantic feelings for her,” Fiyero admitted.

“Have you thought maybe that’s why she refused?”

“Not really. Elphaba doesn’t deal in feelings. She deals in logic.”

“No one is immune to feelings, Fiyero. Yes, some are more emotional than others, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t acknowledge them. For all you know, not bringing up feelings at the time could’ve hurt her.”

“I… I hadn’t thought about that.” Because it was  _ Elphaba _ . The whole deal they had come to was anti-emotion. So he’d tried, and failed, to keep emotion out of it. Who was to say she hadn’t failed, too? She had said she loved him, once. Maybe she had meant it. 

“Look, I’m only in town a few more days, but I think you need to put together a proposal. How can I help you?”

“No grand gestures, Restorn. While I may have read her wrong once or twice, I do know she’s not one for grand gestures.”

“Fair enough. But some kind of proposal is in order, is it not?”

“I think maybe it should start with a confession before we move to the marriage bit.”

“Regardless, perhaps we should find you a ring for her?”

“She’ll kill me.”

“How else are you supposed to propose marriage?”

It suddenly struck Fiyero how serious this all was. It wasn’t some hypothetical, anymore. And time was limited. It did have to happen, and soon. “I really feel like I should be focused on telling her how I feel, first.”

“I understand that, but you don’t exactly have much time between the two. So maybe having a ring, just to be prepared? And a plan?”

“Fine, fine. I guess you’re right.”

“Then tomorrow we go shopping.”

“I was going to go over to Elphaba’s room…”

“Nothing like this needs to be done half-assed, Fiyero. And I’m assuming you two meet here frequently?”

“Yes.”

“Then it can wait until you see her again. Was that supposed to be tomorrow?”

“No, but… I mean she’d still be here tomorrow if she hadn’t left.”

“She stayed the night a lot, huh?”

“Yes, she did.” Fiyero felt defensive.

“From the beginning?”

“Pretty much.”

“So you two have been in love all this time. Did you love her, when you talked to her about marrying her last?”

“I don’t know that I’d realized it yet, but I’m fairly certain I did.” He had loved her even before that. Had it happened their first night together, or after? He wasn’t sure. But he knew these feelings had not appeared overnight. They’d simply grown stronger and unavoidable.

“Can I sleep on the couch, by the way? The inn is boring and lonely. If you don’t have company anymore, I don’t see why I can’t hang here.”

“Go ahead.”

“Good. Then in the morning, we find a jeweler.”

Fiyero swallowed hard. This was actually happening.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth comes out.

Elphaba took a long, slow breath. She was standing in front of Fiyero’s door. He was probably expecting her. It was Tuesday, after all. Even if they’d never agreed to meet every Tuesday, it had happened. After the first time she’d shown up at his door, it had become a constant thing. 

Would she tell him? She had to, as far as Glinda was concerned. But Elphaba still wasn’t certain she was ready, especially when she didn’t know what would come after her confession. She knew she needed to tell him sometime, but did it have to be tonight? Shaking her head, she knocked on the door and steeled herself.

Fiyero opened the door and whisked her inside, kicking the door shut. He pulled her to him, their faces barely an inch apart. His scent overwhelmed her, and his body encompassed her. He cupped her chin, his lips parted slightly. “Fae…” He trailed off, though she wasn’t sure why. It was clear he wanted to say something, but what?

Elphaba reached up and pulled his face the last inch toward hers and kissed him. Fuck having a conversation - it could wait. His touch was enough to awaken the desire for him that lived within her body, and it stole through her veins. She moaned as he deepened the kiss and took over.

He kept kissing her as he undressed her, walking them toward the bed. Her dress fell to the floor and she stepped out of it. Her bra was unhooked next. She felt his fingers hook into her panties and pull them down her legs. She kicked them off along with her shoes and flopped onto the bed, looking at him. She’d only managed to remove a few buttons on his shirt. But he only grinned and shed his clothing quickly before joining her, climbing right over her and diving for another kiss.

“Yero,” she breathed and he began kissing along her neck. She gasped as he nipped at her shoulder. She tore his shirt open, hearing the buttons pop off. As his kisses continued, she began on his trousers. His hand joined hers and they finished undressing him together.

She could’ve taken him then - but he always touched or kissed her first. He traced a finger along her slit before burying it within her. He was sucking and lavishing kisses on her breasts as he did. He groaned when she clasped a hand on his cock. He met her eyes then, and nodded at the need in them.

Elphaba opened her legs further, raising her hips so he could bury himself within her. She whimpered as he thrust inside, feeling her body shudder with pleasure. Fiyero kept his eyes on hers as he began moving. She clutched the back of his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him. And the words came out again, “I love you, Yero.”

This time she heard him, and saw it in his eyes. “I love you, too, Fae.” Fiyero kissed her again, pulling their bodies tighter together, increasing the friction between them as he fucked her. “So much.”

The words thrilled her, and she arched her back against him even more. She could feel him pushing against her harder, his pumping and thrusting going faster. Her body sizzled beneath him, her swollen flesh trembling as he drove himself into her. The buzzing grew as their speed increased and his force got rougher. She cried out as she came, and he filled her with his seed at the same moment. 

They stayed, still joined, for a moment. Fiyero nudged her nose with his own. “I do love you, Fae,” he said softly.

“I love you, too, Fiyero,” she murmured, reaching up and running her fingers along his cheek. “I meant it.”

His smile made her weak. “You have no idea how much I needed to hear that.”

“I did, too,” she admitted.

Fiyero kissed her one more time before pulling out of her, leaving her feeling empty. “I… I’m sorry Restorn interrupted us the other night.”

“It’s fine. It… well...” Elphaba chewed her lip and sat up a little. “I heard what you said to him. All of it.”

Fiyero cocked his head as he recalled. “You heard me tell him how I felt about you.”

She nodded. “And I also heard you tell him he couldn’t have me. While I agree with that, I don’t think that was your decision so much as mine, Fiyero, since it’s my body.”

Fiyero surprised her by bursting out with laughter.

“What?”

“We just confessed our love for one another and you’re going on about being angry that I didn’t ask you to sleep with my friend?”

“Those aren’t the words I’d use. I was more angry that you thought it was up to you to make that choice. I mean, you didn’t trust that I’d refuse? I’ve told you over and over that my willingness to sleep with you had so much to do with trust, Fiyero. You really thought I’d just sleep with some random guy who I had no trust in? It felt like I trusted you and you didn’t trust me. You thought I’d go for it.”

“I didn’t! I knew you wouldn’t. And I trusted you. But the idea of him even touching you, suggesting it to you… it made me nauseated.”

“Had you two, you know, traded girls before?” Elphaba had to ask, her cheeks heating at the question.

“Maybe once. I mean, we weren’t all in the same room. It was the next day or something? I honestly barely remember anything from home. It’s all been you, Fae, for quite some time now.”

“Really?”

“Really. Elphaba, I’ve been in love with you for months. You really think I begged you to marry me at your grandfather’s because I wanted an alliance? I told you that because I thought that’s what you wanted.” He took her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I loved you fast enough. And I couldn’t admit it. Maybe I should’ve been honest.”

Elphaba sighed and leaned into him. “I understand why you weren’t. I tried so hard to push you away.”

“When you said it, Fae, in bed a month ago… did you mean it then?”

“I did. But I didn’t mean to say it. And I don’t even know what you said to me. I was so high on you, so encompassed in your body and my body that I didn’t even hear you.”

“You didn’t miss anything. I froze and said, ‘me, too,’ and wanted to kick myself for it.” Fiyero grinned. “But I’ll say it now. Again and again. I love you. I love you, Elphaba.”

“I love you, too. I… I wasn’t even sure if I could tell you. Glinda made me.”

“Glinda?”

“She swears she’s known how we feel about one another forever. Glinda says all of them know how you feel about me. That it was obvious. She couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed.”

“Restorn said something similar,” Fiyero acknowledged. “He said he could tell you loved me, but that I was quite a bit more obvious.”

“Well, then I must be oblivious,” Elphaba smiled. After a pause, she asked what she knew had to come next. “So what happens now?”


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero tells Elphaba his plan to keep them together.

He hadn’t had to admit it to her. He’d meant to tell her the moment she’d walked in, but he’d faltered and she’d kissed him and he could never refuse her. And then she’d said it herself. But now here they were, in the unknown. Fiyero considered her question for a moment. He was still smiling stupidly, barely able to think past the constant refrain of  _ She loves me _ that was playing in his mind. “I think, Fae, it depends what you want to happen.”

“What do you mean?” Her eyes flicked away from him for a moment. She was nervous. 

Fiyero reached for her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. “You know what I mean, Elphaba. You’re the one who never wanted courting or marriage. I took no such vow.”

“But you’re still arranged to be married.”

“I think you know I’ve been working on that.”

She looked up at him. “What?”

“The moment your grandfather suggested we marry, I wrote my father to see if it was even possible. I know you had refused it, but I had to hope against hope that you’d change your mind. Once the idea was in my head, I couldn’t shake it. I had to know if it was completely hopeless.”

“I told you not to.”

Fiyero shrugged, knowing she wasn’t truly angry with him. “And it was my letter and my decision.”

“And what did he say?”

“He wasn’t happy. They choose brides based on power. Sarima’s family may not be as powerful as mine, but her father is fairly rich, by our standards.”

Her face fell slightly. “Oh.”

He ran his hands through her hair, taking a moment before he told her what he knew. “But there is a way. You won’t like it.”

“What is it?”

“You wanted time. I know that. The problem is, the only option we have gives us very little time.”

“Stop avoiding actually answering me.” Her voice sounded thin.

“We have to get married. Here. Before I go back to the Vinkus. And it needs to be public.”

Elphaba jumped. “What?”

“My parents won’t back out of the agreement with Sarima’s family. It would anger them. But my father hinted that he’d be agreeable to my marrying you, given your unique family position. He implied that if we got married here, and it was observed by important people and was too difficult to annul, they’d just have to tell Sarima’s parents that young love had gotten ahead of them and that it was out of their control.”

She stared at him.

“I realize it’s a lot. We just admitted our feelings and now I’m telling you that if we don’t get married in the next two months, I have to marry someone else. But you knew that, Fae. You knew I had to get married as soon as I got back.” He put a hand on her knee.

“I hoped… I had hoped maybe if you got back and told them you want me, with my position, that they might give you a little leeway.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. But I know exactly what we’d need to do.”

“And that would be?”

“Have Glinda there, and Avaric, too. And we’d ask Madame Morrible to perform the ceremony. Obviously Nessa and Nanny could be there, and anyone else you felt needed to be there.”

“But Morrible?”

“She’s a powerful person with huge connections in the City. No one would dare question a marriage performed by her. It might make the news. They couldn’t annul it if they tried.”

Elphaba buried her face in her hands. “Shit, this is too much.”

“I know it is.” Fiyero kissed her forehead. “And I haven’t asked you to.”

“I noticed that,” she murmured.

“I don’t want to put that pressure on you, but…”

“But there’s no other way.”

“And we could move our castle. It won’t be right on the border, but it’d be a lot nearer to Munchkinland. That I did find out.”

Elphaba shook her head and brought her hands away from her face. There were tears threatening at her eyes. “I don’t know, Fiyero. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Fae. Please. This is why I didn’t tell you any of this. I realize it’s not what you wanted.”

“I want you, Fiyero, I do.”

“I know.” He held her against his chest. “I know you do.”

“How long before we need to talk to Morrible?”

“Are you… are you saying you want to?”

“I’m asking when we need to make a decision. And I say  _ we _ because you still haven’t said you want it, either.”

“I haven’t. I think you know what I want, Fae. I’m trying not to overwhelm you.”

She took a shuddering breath against him. “I appreciate that, my love. So… when?”

“Two weeks before we finish? I think we could put together a whirlwind wedding.”

“We have a little over a month, then?”

“About that long, yes.” He sighed heavily. “I’m not asking you to do this, Elphaba. I know what you wanted and how you feel. If it’s too much, I understand that.” He didn’t mention the ring in his drawer, or how he didn’t want to propose to her naked and sweaty from sex. She knew he wanted to marry her. The words could come later - if she could accept them.

“Tell me, then. Tell me what us being married would be like, as much as you can.” Her voice was high, almost childlike. 

He buried his face in her hair. “It would be perfect.”

“That is not the kind of description I was looking for,” she replied.

He chuckled. “I know, I know. Elphaba, a marriage between two powers like ours is unprecedented for either of our respective states. I don’t think it would be the usual Vinkun royal marriage.”

“Then what do you think it would be like, Yero?”

“You’d have your duties and I’d have mine. We’d help each other as much as possible. You wouldn’t be a housewife. Yes, we’d have children. But we’d have help - maybe a nanny or a nurse. We’d probably travel back and forth fairly frequently, but with a little logistical work, it could be done easily. We’d spend all of our nights together. No one would judge us for our behavior. We’d rule side-by-side and we’d be happy.”

She was smiling at that. “I think I could do that.”

“Even the children part? I know you were hesitant, due to your genetics…”

“Even this children part. Some of my doubts have been quelled a little, by my great-grandfather.”

“Did he… did he talk to you about us?”

“He did. He knew I cared for you.”

“So we were both stupid, then? I mean, neither of us saw.”

“You saw earlier than I did, I’d guess.”

“I suppose. It doesn’t matter. We know now.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba begins to consider her options and goes to Glinda for advice.

“Stay tonight,” he pleaded an hour later. “I know you usually don’t on weeknights, but…”

“You don’t have to ask twice,” she told him. “I’ll stay.”

“Will Glinda worry?”

“I doubt it.” And she wasn’t exactly thrilled to go back and tell Glinda about the conversation they’d been having. She loved Glinda dearly, but she never gave her time to digest information or work through it herself. Fiyero, on the other hand, was always patient with her. Elphaba relaxed back onto Fiyero’s bed, reminding herself,  _ I could have this every night for the rest of our lives. _ There was a catch, though: marriage. But wasn’t he worth it?

“You realize, Fae, that we will get questions, if we should choose to make this permanent. People may have noticed that I have feelings for you, but they’re going to wonder how it got to marriage without so much as a word between us, at least as far as they were aware of. And I’m assuming Nessa knows nothing of our relationship?”

“You’d be correct.”

“Are you prepared for the questions, should we decide to go through with all this?”

“If I survived living with Glinda for several years, I can survive anyone’s questioning,” Elphaba laughed. “It might surprise Nessa, though.”

“I realize you don’t want to tell her the truth about us. But perhaps tell her that in talking with me about trade agreements, we’ve developed a close friendship?”

“I don’t know if I’ll tell her anything until… until we know.” She wasn’t sure she could tell Nessa. How could she look her sister in the face and lie so blatantly? Lying about where she had been at night was one thing, but lying about months, almost a year of her life seemed much worse. She loved Nessa dearly, but she knew the truth would scandalize her. And how would her father react if she just wrote him to tell him she was marrying Fiyero? She’d give him no warning, if she could help it. She didn’t want him there. If she was doing this, she was forgetting her past, and the man who had never truly been her father in genetics or in behavior.

“That’s up to you, Fae. Whatever you want to do.”

“Besides, I like not telling anyone. Imagine their shock! They’ll want to know everything, but we don’t have to tell them. It will drive them crazy. Only Glinda will know the truth.” She smiled a little. “And despite her propensity for talking, she can keep a secret better than anyone I know.”

“I know that. If you trusted her, I knew you must have reason to.”

They slept tangled together that night, and she slept well. Elphaba woke early so she could get back to her room and clean up before classes, and before anyone noticed her missing. On weekdays, Nessa often wanted to share meals with her, and it might alarm her if Elphaba wasn’t there. 

“Mmm, just live here,” Fiyero murmured as she dressed. He was still half asleep.

“You know I can’t,” Elphaba chided, her cheeks flushing at the thought. “Not truly. I can visit even more, if you want, but I’m pretty sure I need to show my face around Crage occasionally. It would still be unbecoming of me to obviously spend nights with you, whether I agree with that or not. And Fiyero, I can’t just live with you!” She threw a pillow at him.

“I’m sorry,” he grumbled. “I love you, though, and I just want you all the time.”

“The feeling is mutual,” she assured him. “But I think we both have classes to finish out and lives to live. I will be back tomorrow night, if that works for you. Love you, Yero.”

She headed back over to Crage, taking care to not be noticed as she left the student apartments. Glinda had an early class, so she figured she’d have a little time to put herself together and not be interrogated.

“Well, well, well, you’re finally back.” Glinda was perched on her bed with her arms folded across her chest.

“Holy shit, Glinda! What the fuck? Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”

“Not when my roommate needs me.”

“Who said I need you?” Elphaba chucked her knapsack onto her bed. “You are obnoxious. What I need is to get prepared for the day.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Fine, Glinda, what do you want?”

“The details.”

“I thought the details make you uncomfortable, but if you must know, I practically tore his clothes off him. I’ll probably offer to put those buttons back on. Anyway, we got naked and he touched my…”

“Elphaba!”

“I told him.”

“Before tearing open his shirt?”

“After.” Elphaba grinned. 

“You have no self-control.”

“No, not around him, I really don’t.”

“So what happened when you told him? Please tell me you weren’t in the middle of…”

“We were. But he responded in kind. And after, we talked about it.” Elphaba shrugged. “The way he was looking at me, Glinda, I had to say it.”

“And?”

“It’s complicated. If we want to do this, I have to marry him. You know that.”

“I do. So?”

“So it has to be done before we graduate and he leaves Shiz.”

“Really? So soon?”

“Yes. And that’s a little concerning. I don’t have long to give him an answer. You’ll need to be there.”

“He proposed? In bed?”

“No. He didn’t. But we both know he’ll have to. He wants to give me time.”

“So it would be a spur-of-the-moment wedding? People will think it’s a shotgun wedding, Elphie, and that he got you pregnant.”

“No, they’ll realize he did it to get out of an arranged marriage so he could be with me, so long as we explain it right. It needs to be public, very public. There can’t be any questions.”

“Elphie, then you must be very clear the marriage was consummated, too, or people might question whether it could still be annulled.”

Her cheeks flushed. As inappropriate as the comments she made to Glinda always were, she didn’t want the whole world knowing her business. “And how does one do that? I’m not doing that in public!”

“No, not like that, Elphie. I just mean… make it obvious you two were very intimate after the wedding.”

“How?”

“I don’t know! I’m not well-versed on these things.”

“And I am?”

“In matters of sex, yes!”

“Not in matters of marriage!”

Glinda simply shrugged. “You’ll figure it out.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero continues to attempt to woo Elphaba. He and Glinda have a conversation.

He made her dinner every time she came over from then on. She liked his cooking, after all, and he wanted to remind her of what she could have if she married him.

“Mmm. Where’d you learn to cook, Yero? I mean, didn’t you have cooks at Kiamo Ko?” Elphaba asked him that weekend. “I’m going to end up putting on a little weight!”

Fiyero laughed. “We did have cooks. But when I was eleven or twelve, I was eating  _ all the time _ . My mom said it was a growth spurt, and just a typical teenage boy thing. But the cooks didn’t work in the middle of the night, and I’d often be up trying to rustle a meal up. My mom taught me - she hadn’t always been part of the royal family, so one night when she found me digging around the pantries, she decided to teach me to cook. That’s where all this comes from: my mother.”

“She sounds wonderful.”

“She is. And she’ll love you.”

Elphaba lowered her eyes a little. “It is strange. Neither of us has met the other’s family. I mean, you met my great grandfather, but not as my…”

“As your lover? Or boyfriend?”

“Right.” She met his eyes again. “And if we do get married, the only family that will be there for me will be Nessa and Nanny, and you won’t have any family there.”

“I thought that’s how you wanted it?” He had a mind to write to her great grandfather, though. The older man would probably want to be there, and would add credibility to the wedding, too. But he wasn’t sure if he should reach out without telling her first, and without having an answer from her. He knew, however, if he waited for an answer (to the question he had not yet asked), it might be too late for her great grandfather to be there.

“I do, at least in regards to my father. It just seems hard to make this commitment without knowing the families we’re marrying into.”

“From everything you’ve told me, I feel like I know your family already,” Fiyero commented.

She smiled. “I feel a little the same.”

He knew what day he was going to ask her, and he had it all planned. He wouldn’t warn her beforehand - she knew well enough what was coming. He was the one in the dark, not knowing what her answer would be yet. But he wouldn’t push, because he understood she needed her time.

“Do you worry we’ll be so busy or bored being married that we won’t have time like this?” Elphaba asked him later that night, curled up against his chest.

He ran his fingers through her hair and replied, “No. Not with us.”

“Don’t people often get bored of each other once they’re married? Or they have no time?”

“Elphaba, as long as you’re willing, nothing is going to keep me from you.” He kissed her forehead gently. “Has anything faded at all over the last few months?”

She shook her head. “No, although part of me hoped it might.”

Fiyero chuckled. “It won’t change.”

“It doesn’t feel like it ever will, but…”

“I know, Fae. Marriage. You keep falling back on that - what happens to many people, how it works for other people. Why can’t you trust that the two of us will make our own way with this?”

“The fact that I’m considering this at all means I do trust it, Fiyero. I swear. But yes, I worry. I’ve seen it go wrong.”

“Your parents,” he whispered.

“A little bit, yes.”

“Well, I think it might help that I’m nothing like your father.”

Elphaba laughed. “And I love you for that.”

“And while I never met your mother, I get the feeling that you’re not much like her, either. Fae, I respect that you want to be independent and have your own life. I will give you as much space as you need. I won’t expect you to keep house or sew notions or whatever the heck it is you don’t want to do.”

She giggled and kissed him deeply. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Always. That’s not going to change. It’ll be us against the world. I won’t let you down, not if I can help it.”

“Oh, Yero,” she murmured, pulling him close. “I know you won’t. But what if… what if the physical aspect goes stale somehow? Or one of us isn’t interested in being as physical? I know bodies and wants change with age.”

“They do,” he acknowledged. “But I think you know it’s been beyond the physical with us for a long time. Yes, we are very physical. Part of that was enjoying what we could while we had the chance. But if it’s forever, Fae, we have time. We don’t have to rush.”

“And if I want to rush now?” Elphaba murmured, straddling him.

“I won’t stop you.”

Glinda had never spoken to him about Elphaba, even after Elphaba had told her what was going on. But that changed. He’d been dining alone in the cafeteria when Glinda sat near him - not directly across from him or next to him, but near enough to hold a conversation. “I barely see my roommate anymore, and I blame you for that,” she began.

Fiyero snorted. “That’s her decision and you know it.”

“Well, are you planning on asking her to marry you or just suggesting it?” Glinda demanded.

“Right to the point then, huh? I am planning on asking, thank you. I have it figured out.”

“Oh? When?”

“I was unaware I had to run my proposal plans by you.” Fiyero raised his eyebrows at her.

“Well, I was unaware you deflowered my roommate and then continued your debauchery for months, so…”

“Oh, please, Glinda, you know how she is. She decides exactly what to do and she does it. There is no stopping her. What do you think would’ve happened if it wasn’t me?”

“Fair enough,” she sighed. “I just want to know, Fiyero. I had no idea you two had anything going on for months. I thought I knew her so well, and there was a whole part of her life that she was keeping from me.”

“And I’m sorry about that. But you know she chose that, not me.”

“She is my best friend and it hurts that I didn’t know.”

“I realize that.”

“By the way, I think she will.”

“Will what?”

“Marry you, you idiot.”

Fiyero smiled a little to himself. “Well, thank you, I suppose. We’ll find out sooner or later.”

“Can you let me know after you ask, in case she doesn’t tell me?”

“I think she’ll tell you, Glinda. One way or the other.”

“Oh, it’ll be one way, not the other.”

“Considering she needs you to be there, then, I think she’ll let you know.” Fiyero was trying not to grin too much. Glinda’s comments gave him even more hope.

“And you truly love her, Fiyero?”

“More than I thought possible.”

“Good.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba's great-grandfather comes to town and gives her some advice.

“Fabala, your great grandfather is in town on business and he wishes to visit with you,” Nanny told her. 

Her great grandfather almost never traveled, due to his age. What was he doing at Shiz? There was just a month or so left in the semester now. She was somewhat busy with finals and with all the time she spent at Fiyero’s. Why couldn’t it wait until she’d graduated? But she couldn’t refuse her great-grandfather, so she met him for lunch the next day.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you a few things about how we’re going to handle the Eminence.” Her great-grandfather said as soon as they had ordered.

“Oh?”

“Well, my plan is to step down, eventually. I don’t want to risk dying in office. I should’ve stepped down years and years ago, but…”

“But my mother died and there was no one to step in that was of age.”

Her great-grandfather nodded. “I can step down earlier, if you’d like, though. What do you plan to do immediately after graduation? Will you come and shadow me? Or will you return to Nest Hardings?”

Elphaba chewed her lip for a moment. If she married Fiyero, she was hoping to go to the Vinkus with him until it was her turn to step into the position - hopefully there would be time enough to move both Kiamo Ko and her great-grandfather’s estate closer to the border between their two lands. “Um… it depends.”

“What does it depend on?”

Elphaba sighed. Her grandfather would need to know soon enough, anyway, at least if she chose to go through with the marriage. “If I marry Prince Fiyero.”

A smile spread across the old man’s face. “You’re considering it? I thought you were vehemently against it.”

“I am considering it. I haven’t decided.”

“Has he formally asked you, then?”

Elphaba shook her head. “He has indicated that he plans to. We’ve had discussions on the topic.”

“And you’re still hesitant?”

“I am taking my time!”

“Time you don’t have, Elphaba. That boy loves you. And you love him. Does anything else matter?”

“You really approve of this? Your great-granddaughter marrying a Vinkun prince from a land you’ve never even been to? My father will be horrified!” Although she didn’t mind that part so much.

“Let him be horrified, then. You’ve never much cared what he thought. But there’s something you need to think about, something we didn’t talk about before. Your insistence that you not have children. Shell is young. What if something happens to you in the next twenty or so years before Shell has children, if he has them at all? Your father will insist that Nessa be installed as Eminent Thropp. He will use her as his puppet. Do you want that?”

She swallowed hard. “No.”

“And depending on what happens, Shell could be just as easy to manipulate. Then what are his children like?”

“Shell doesn’t seem like…”

“But it could still happen. As we discussed, he’s young. But, in the next ten years or so, you could have children. If something happens to you, that child becomes the next in line. Of course, for a few years the child’s guardian would handle the Eminence, but that would be Fiyero - not your father. And I think that’s a much more appealing idea to both of us.”

“A Vinkun prince as Eminence?”

“More as a stand-in to help the next in line.”

Her mind was whirling. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I realize that. But it has occurred to me recently. You and I both know your father should never have that kind of power. But were the Eminence to fall to Nessa, he would. I know you love your sister, but she is in your father’s thrall.”

Elphaba winced. “I know she is. And I’ve tried to prevent it!”

“It’s not your fault, Elphaba. There is nothing you could’ve done, not once your mother was gone. But you can stop it from getting that far. I’m not saying you need to have children right this moment, but you need to get married at least, to put that in motion. And you are never going to get another opportunity to marry this man. Do you really want to let him go? Do you think another man will just show up?”

“It’s not about another man. It’s about needing one at all.”

“Elphaba, you don’t need him because you need a man, you need him because you love  _ him _ and only him. It has nothing to do with needing a husband. Tell me you at least realize you love him.”

“Of course I love him! And he loves me. I’m not stupid.”

“Good. What, exactly is your timeline?”

“We… we’d have to marry before his return to the Vinkus. Or he has to marry the girl his parents arranged for him.”

“You have less time than I thought.”

“I realize that. But he hasn’t officially asked yet, as I told you.”

“I suspect he will. And I’d like to be here for the wedding.”

“I never said there’d be a wedding. He hasn’t asked and I didn’t say I would marry him.”

“I’ll be sticking around, just in case.”

Elphaba laughed.

“Look, I realize that perhaps there was some… indecent sort of romance going on between the two of you.”

“There was not!” Elphaba gasped.

“You two were far too familiar with each other.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There was something in your body language, and his, that indicated to me that the two of you were very comfortable with one another in a way that unmarried couples usually wouldn’t be.”

“That doesn’t mean anything was actually happening!”

“Elphaba, I really don’t care if it was. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t want to marry him then, if you had those feelings.”

“I hadn’t admitted them,” she muttered.

“But you two got  _ comfortable _ when you hadn’t admitted them?”

“Can you please stop talking in innuendo? I don’t like the implications you’re making.” But they were correct, nonetheless, even if she’d rather no one know. Still, if it had been that obvious in their body language, why had no one else noticed? Yes, Glinda had commented that people thought Fiyero loved her, but no one had assumed they were physically intimate! 

“I don’t know exactly how close the two of you got, but I know you were close. I’m not going to ask, Elphaba. But I realize you were averse to the idea of being his wife then, and I want to know what changed.”

“Everything. And nothing.”


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero asks Elphaba an important question.

It was time. Elphaba was asleep still, as the morning light began to seep through his window. Fiyero kissed her forehead softly and rolled carefully out of bed. Elphaba was a somewhat deep sleeper, but he couldn’t risk waking her yet. He had to clean up and make breakfast.

Fiyero worked as quietly as he could to make breakfast, looking over at the bed often to make sure she hadn’t woken up. While everything cooked, he moved a few things around and got dressed. Elphaba would likely throw on one of his shirts before she sat down to breakfast with him, as that was her usual choice of attire when she was at his apartment and out of bed.

It was at least an hour before everything was ready and he gently woke Elphaba up, sitting on the bed beside her and brushing her cheek with his fingers. “Fae, good morning.”

“Mmmm,” she murmured, pulling him against her. “Come back to bed.” Her eyes fluttered open. “I need you, please, Yero?”

He smiled, and tried not to let her tempt him. “Breakfast first.”

She yawned and then shifted, sitting up a little. “I suppose that would make sense. Last night was a marathon, so I do need to eat to regain my strength.”

Last night had been a marathon, and he’d wanted it that way. He trusted her, and he knew she loved him, but a small part of him still feared he’d lose her when he asked her to marry him. Plus, he’d wanted her to sleep well, and it wasn’t as if she didn’t enjoy it. Fiyero held his hand out to her to help her stand. “Well, breakfast is ready and on the table.”

She sniffed the air and studied him before standing up. “That smells good. What did you make?” Elphaba stood up and looked over at the table. “That is quite a spread, Yero.” She grabbed his shirt from the nightstand where he’d left it for her and walked over to the table, stopping before she got there. “Flower petals? On the table and the floor?” Realization dawned on her face. “Yero…”

He took her hand and sat her in the chair before he produced the small but elegant ring. He got down on one knee. “Fae, I don’t want to live without you ever again. Please, marry me?”

She pressed her hand to her chest and took a deep breath. She actually looked surprised, despite the fact that she had to know it was coming, soon. There were a little over three weeks until graduation. “Is this breakfast conditional on my agreement to marry you?” She teased.

“It might be,” he replied with a grin.

“Well, it’s a good thing I was going to say ‘yes,’ then, isn’t it?”

He took her hand from her chest. “A very good thing.” Once the ring was on her hand, he pulled her up to stand again and kissed her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. And that kiss has made me question my commitment to breakfast before going back to bed.” Her eyes darted between the bed and the table.

He sat down across from her. “Well, I made that commitment, too, so I’ll hold you to it. I worked far too hard on this breakfast for you to eat it cold. Besides, I think we have quite a few things to discuss over breakfast, anyway.”

She frowned a little, but nodded agreement. “Hence why I was tempted to go back to bed. Wedding planning is not exciting to me. Especially not under our circumstances.”

“I know. Which is why I’ve pretty much got it figured out. All you have to do is find a dress and help me with a few things.”

She reached across the table and took his hand. “You are amazing.”

“I try.”

“So what do I need to do to help?”

“I need you to come with me to ask Morrible to perform the wedding. Obviously, we’ll need to announce it to our friends and invite them. I’ll handle getting a tavern/inn booked for after. I’ll let your great-grandfather know…”

“You knew he was in town, didn’t you?”

Oops. He bit his lip. “I, um, wrote him a letter. I didn’t tell him why, I just said he might want to visit town.”

“That explains it!” She laughed.

Well, at least she wasn’t upset with him. “I know you didn’t want your father here, but I know your relationship with your great-grandfather is a little better, so I thought perhaps he could be here.”

“You’re sweet. Presumptuous, but sweet.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Finish that food, because I’m going to have to show you just how  _ not _ sweet I am in a few minutes.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “I look forward to that. But… Fiyero, it’ll have to be the last time until we get married.”

He cocked his head. “Why?”

“The minute people know we’re an item and that we’re getting married, it might suddenly be noticeable if I’m not in my room or if I’m leaving here. People never paid attention before, but someone could just be out one night and glance over and see me walking to this building late at night… they’ll figure it out. Trust me, I don’t like it any more than you do. I need the break from the rest of my life, especially as we approach finals. And I enjoy you. But we can’t.”

“I won’t argue. I’m pretty sure it’ll be better on all ends if people think we’re, uh, new to one another.”

“Or at least that I’m a virgin,” Elphaba replied calmly. “People might ask about our wedding night. I’m not saying we make it sound like it was awful or it hurt badly, because you and I both know that didn’t happen for me because you knew what you were doing. And we can just act like that’s what happened. We don’t need to pretend to have a first time. We had one. But, if, in the bedroom alone, you get a little over enthusiastic because you’ve missed it, I will not complain.” She gave him a mischievous smile.

“Make you walk funny for days?” He teased.

“Might help sell it.” Elphaba licked her lips.

“And Fae, if you do need to sneak over in the middle of the night somehow, you know I wouldn’t stop you.”

“Oh, if my father finds out about this, he’ll have Nanny put bars on the damn windows,” Elphaba shuddered. “And he might try to make his way here. I’m going to beg them not to tell him, but…”

“I know. He won’t ruin this for us, Fae. We don’t have to let him be there.”

“If he wants to and he doesn’t cause a fuss, maybe I can live with it. But I’m going to hope he never finds out until after it happens.”

“I’ll probably have to meet him at some point, Fae. After all, he is your father.”

She frowned. “I know, I know. But you know what? We were just talking about going back to bed, weren’t we? Because this conversation is  _ not _ helping that.”

Fiyero pushed his chair out and pulled her out of hers. “We can fix that.”


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba and Fiyero begin planning their wedding, starting with a conversation with Madame Morrible.

Monday, Elphaba found herself standing outside Madame Morrible’s office door. Fiyero’s hand enveloped hers as he reached to knock. She stopped him. “Do we absolutely need her?”

“Fae, we’ve gone over this.” Fiyero took both her hands in his. “If you don’t want her performing the ceremony, we can just ask her to attend, but I don’t know where we’ll find someone who will do it this soon.”

She groaned. “Fine, fine.”

He knocked and Madame Morrible swished the door open only a moment later. She wore a painted face of shock. “Miss Elphaba, Master Fiyero…” Her eyes fell upon their hands, entwined. “Why don’t you come in? What, exactly, is this about?” She stepped back and ushered them into two of the three chairs that sat in front of her desk before sitting herself.

“Well, Madame Morrible, we have a special request for you. Elphaba and I are getting married. We thought, since we fell in love here at Shiz, perhaps you could officiate the wedding for us? It would be such an honor.” Fiyero sounded rehearsed to her, but she knew him well. Madame Morrible probably would not notice.

“Married?” The old woman’s voice went up a few notes from her usual tone.

“Yes. I know it must come as a shock. We were not very public about our courting. I wasn’t even sure we’d be allowed to court. You see, Madame, I don’t know if you know this, but I am arranged to be married to a young lady from my tribe that I have never met. But I fell for Elphaba, and, to my surprise, she fell for me, as well. We need to get married before I return to the Vinkus or I’ll have to marry this other girl. We don’t have our parents’ permission, but we are adults and do not need it.”

It took a few moments for Madame Morrible to take it all in. “And you two are certain this is the path you want to walk? You two come from very different backgrounds and different worlds. That’s not even to mention the fact that you two have responsibilities in your respective states.”

Fiyero bit his lip. Had he not expected this?

Elphaba jumped in. “We’ve anticipated that. I assure you, Madame, this decision was not made rashly. We have come up with a plan. And while I do not have my father’s permission, I do have the permission of my great-grandfather. We will be relocating the head-of-state near the border between our two countries so that it will make our duties easier. I imagine Fiyero’s parents may make that adjustment, as well, once they get past the shock of our marriage. Madame, we are very much in love. I know it’s a shock. I realize Fiyero and I are not what some would consider well-matched, but I feel as though that’s why we actually work so well together.”

Fiyero was looking at her, a smile spreading across his face. “Yes, exactly. Please, Madame Morrible, we love one another and I can’t imagine not being able to marry her.”

Madame Morrible eyed them both carefully. “This is a marriage of love? Not out of some sort of nefarious plan to…” She shook her head. “Then fine. I’m going to tell you that it needs to be done next week, however. After that, I’m too wrapped up in preparing for graduation.”

_ One week? _ One week between getting engaged to Fiyero and marrying him… Elphaba swallowed hard. “We can do that.”

“And family? Fiyero, I doubt yours can make it here.”

“That’s partially the point, Madame. I’m not sure they’d approve, but I do believe they’d accept it if it was done already.”

“Elphaba, if you wrote to your father now, I’m not sure he would make it in time. But I know your father would want to be here.”

“It’s fine. I have Nessa and Nanny.”

Madame Morrible sighed dramatically. “No need to leave him out. I have access to an expedited messenger service. I’ll write him a letter and he’ll be able to make it here just in time.”

She tried not to show her disappointment. “That’s very kind of you, Madame.”

“I trust you will then stay at Master Fiyero’s apartment for the rest of your stay at Shiz?”

“I…” Elphaba hadn’t thought of that. When they had originally discussed it, they were to be married only days before leaving. This was two weeks. “Mostly. I might go visit my sister and Miss Glinda regularly. I can pack my things…”

“I think perhaps in these circumstances we let you keep your keys and you can stay where you please.”

Elphaba nodded.

“You two realize you won’t really have much of a honeymoon, yes? I can’t let you out of the last week and a half of classes and final exams just because you’re getting married spur-of-the-moment like this.”

“We know,” Fiyero answered quickly. “We will celebrate our honeymoon later. We’ll have a simple wedding night at an inn and be back in my apartment by the next day.”

“And where is this marriage being performed?”

“I was hoping we could use a lecture hall here, and then we’d have our close friends and family gather at a tavern informally afterward.”

“I can arrange that.” Madame Morrible looked them over again. “You are certain this is what you wish? I’m not sure how your respective lands will handle the invasion of foreigners into the ruling family.”

Elphaba had to bite back a retort to the thinly-veiled racism in that comment. She knew it was more directed at Fiyero than herself, but she didn’t enjoy the implication.

“If her great grandfather can accept it, Ma’am, then I believe the rest of Munchkinland will, as well. And I don’t foresee a problem with my tribe other than the family of the girl I was to marry, and I’m sure my parents and I will find significant reparations to them.” Fiyero’s voice had a slight strain, and his lips were taut. 

“Very well. Then, congratulations, you two. Saturday evening at the large lecture hall in the sciences building. Who will be in attendance?”

“Well, apparently my father,” Elphaba replied, trying to hide her displeasure. “My great-grandfather is in town at the moment and will likely be there, as well. Miss Galinda will be there, along with Nessa and Nanny. I’m sure we’ll invite others from our circle of friends, right, dear?”

Fiyero agreed. “Yes. Master Avaric, Master Boq, Master Crope and Master Tibett. Along with Misses Milla and Pfanee. I believe that may well be it.”

Madame Morrible nodded solemnly. “Are they aware of the invitation?”

“They will be by the end of the day today,” Fiyero assured her.

Elphaba gulped at that, but nodded her head.

“Well, you have some preparations to make. Will this be a civil service? I am not authorized to perform a religious service.”

“Non Denominational. If my father later wishes to make it religious, we can deal with that at another time.” Elphaba cringed. They would  _ not _ ever be having a religious service, but she didn’t feel that was a discussion that Madame Morrible needed to be a part of.

“Of course. Please come see me tomorrow so we can iron out a few details. Again, congratulations.” Madame Morrible began scribbling furiously on a parchment in front of her and waved them out the door.

As Fiyero closed Madame Morrible’s office door, he kissed her. “Well, we’re getting married on Saturday.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him, swallowing her apprehension. “We are.”

“You know that means I don’t have to wait long to be with you again. And you can live with me, actually live with me. Here.”

She smiled at that thought. It would be nice. She hadn’t thought they’d get much time to be alone together, especially once they returned to the Vinkus or to Munchkinland. Here they’d have two weeks. “I like that.”

“But you don’t like everything, do you? I can tell something’s wrong, Fae. Aren’t you happy we’re getting married?”

She looked up at him. “Yeah, but now we have to tell everyone. Today.”


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba share the news with family and friends.

Their circle of friends almost always had dinner together at the local cafe on Monday nights, luckily for Fiyero. He knew Elphaba was apprehensive about how fast this was happening, and about telling their friends, but it had to be done quickly. He had told her when they’d spoken earlier after seeing Madame Morrible, “I know you weren’t eager for the ceremony or the planning, but the good news is it’ll be over within a week and no more dreading it.” That had seemed to comfort her some. But her eyes were wide when he showed up at her door a few minutes before they were to meet at the cafe.

He drew her close for a moment. “I love you,” he whispered against her ear.

“I love you, too,” she replied before pulling back. “I guess we should get this done?”

He’d arrived early so they could tell Nanny and Nessa before the others. Elphaba had told Glinda as soon as she’d returned from the meeting with Morrible, though he hadn’t spoken to Glinda about it yet.

Glinda was beaming as she watched the two of them embrace. “You two are adorable!”

“Oh, please,” Elphaba muttered. “Look, we need to talk to Nanny and Nessa. Can you please not squeal like that? All of Crage probably heard you.”

Glinda huffed. “If you insist.”

Elphaba went to the door between the two rooms and waved for Fiyero to join her. “Let’s do this.” 

“I’m here if you do feel you need help, you know, Elphie,” Glinda said softly.

Elphaba smiled at her. “Thank you.” She opened the door. “Nanny, Nessa? I need to speak with you.” 

Fiyero stood close behind her, a hand on her shoulder. He simply smiled in the face of Nessa and Nanny’s confused gazes.

Elphaba gently ushered Nanny into a chair - Nessa was already in hers. “We have something we would like to tell you.”

“We?” Nanny repeated.

“Yes, we. Fiyero and I are getting married. We fell in love over the last few months. We had a very simple, quiet courtship. He has asked me to marry him, and I agreed.”

“What?” Nessa said softly.

“I’m getting married. To Fiyero.” Elphaba separated herself from him then and sat across from her sister, reaching for her hand. “Look, I know this might surprise everyone. I think it surprised me. But I love him.”

Nanny sighed. “I had an inkling.”

“You did?” Fiyero spoke for the first time.

“I did. You two looked at each other in this way, a way I never thought Fabala would look at anyone,” Nanny shrugged. “I wondered. Especially with Elphaba gone so often.”

“We were courting, yes,” Elphaba said shortly. “We weren’t sure if we could be together, though, so we spent most of the time talking about how to make it work. And we figured it out. But we weren’t ready to tell anyone. We’re getting married Saturday.”

“Saturday?” Nessa cried. “No, Fabala, this is too fast. You are making a rash decision.”

“On the contrary, this hasn’t been rash at all. It seems rash because you didn’t know until now. It has been months for us,” Elphaba insisted. “We’re going to tell everyone and invite our friends. The ceremony will be here on campus. We’ll have a small gathering in a tavern after. Please, come. It matters so much to me. And Madame Morrible has sent a letter to Father. He may be there, though I don’t know yet.”

“Miss Nessarose, Nanny,” Fiyero began slowly, “I know you didn’t expect this, at least not so quickly. But we have no choice. We have to be married before I return to the Vinkus, or I will marry a bride my parents have chosen. I love Elphaba, and I promise to be nothing but good to her.” 

Nanny didn’t protest. “There’s no stopping you. You’re of age. How will this work with your great-grandfather?”

“We’ve figured it out,” Elphaba promised.

“I don’t know how I feel about this,” Nessa said softly. “I need to think on this and pray.”

“Of course, Miss Nessarose. I understand.” Fiyero reached for Elphaba and pulled her to stand beside him. “You can join us for lunch with the others, if you like. If you need to stay here and think, that is understandable.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Master Fiyero.” Nessa waved them away, and Nanny raised an eyebrow. They weren’t coming to dinner.

“That wasn’t awful,” Fiyero observed when they got back into Elphaba and Glinda’s room.

Elphaba gave him a halfhearted smile. “I know. But we have more to come, don’t we?”

“I’ll try to help with that part,” Glinda said.

“Thank you.”

They were there before most of their friends arrived. Fiyero sat next to Elphaba, but did not touch her. Everyone sat by everyone, depending on when you arrived, so it wouldn’t draw any attention. Fiyero waited until everyone had arrived and started eating before putting his hand over Elphaba’s and saying, “Elphaba and I would like to share some news with everyone.” He paused, but didn’t give anyone much time to speak before saying, “We’ll be getting married on Saturday.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Finally, Avaric swallowed his food and said, “Saturday? That’s quick. Did you get her in the family way?”

“He did not!” Elphaba snapped. “Of course not. It’s… it’s complicated.”

Fiyero stepped in. “I was arranged to be married upon my return to the Vinkus. If we didn’t get married before I go back, I’d be forced to marry some girl - I believe her name is Sarima - that my parents had picked for me when I was young. And we wanted to be married.”

“You didn’t plan ahead a little more, though? And when, exactly, did this courtship happen?” Pfanee asked.

“It started months ago, but it was quiet, because we didn’t know if we could even get married. Half of our courtship has been figuring out how this could work.”

“I thought he liked her!” Pfanee squealed. “I knew it.”

“Liking her is a lot different than marrying her. And her liking him.” Crope pointed out.

“The point is, we’d like you all to be at our wedding. We are aware it is sudden, but this is real, and we want our friends there.” Elphaba grumbled.

“A quickie wedding on a Saturday night? Sounds like entertainment. I’ll be there!” Avaric was grinning. “But if Elphaba has a baby here in the next eight months or so, you’d better remember I was right.”

“They won’t be remembering anything, because I’m not pregnant,” Elphaba replied. “But yes, we’d be happy to have you there.”

Fiyero could hear the strain in her voice. “We know this might seem… rushed.”

“I’ll say!” Boq said.

“It wasn’t rushed for us, though. We knew this might come, we just hadn’t decided if it was the right thing. But we love each other, and it is the right thing for us.” Fiyero squeezed Elphaba’s hand gently. 

Their friends accepted the news quicker than Nessa had, but Avaric wasn’t through. He pulled Fiyero aside later. “Are you sure about this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Fiyero, have you thought about the physical aspect? I mean, you two may love each other, but you’re not ignorant about sex. You’ve told me. If you haven’t already slept with her...I mean, how do you know she’s not going to be awful in bed? How do you know she’s not going to lie there and glare at you? What if she won’t even let you do it? I mean, you know this shit matters.”

“I’m not worried about it. Elphaba and I have discussed it and we’ve established our expectations. We will be fine.” Fiyero tried not to roll his eyes at Avaric. “She is just as eager as I am to start our life together, in every way. You don’t see her the way I do.”

“Fine. But if you get beat up on your wedding night because Elphaba freaks out, I won’t feel sorry for you.”

Fiyero bit back a laugh and shrugged. “Really, I’m not worried about it.” If only Avaric knew...


End file.
